Personality Changes

Many studies have examined the issue of personality stability/instability in early and middle adulthood; yet, very few studies have explored the limits of personality stability in the very old who are often confronted with major changes in their health and life circumstances which can severely test their normative behavior. Thus, as an extension of this research, we conducted a longitudinal study on 74 elderly women with a mean age of 80 residing in rural western New York. These individuals were selected from a sample of 358 individuals assessed in 1987 (60 years or older) and they were assessed again in 1993/94 on selected items of Costa and McCrae's (1978) NEO Personality Inventory on the personality traits of Neuroticism (N), Extroversion (E), and Openness to Experience (O). Multiple regression analyses, uncorrected for measurement error, revealed moderate to strong stability on all three traits, (r = .34, r = .32, r = .42, respectively, p <. 01). Moderate change was also found. Personality traits were found to be influenced by negative changes in life circumstances. For example, decreased social support and increased unmet need were associated with more N in 1993. Also in 1993, less E went with poorer health and greater need, while E in 1987 went with being Extroverted in 1993. The trait of O was very stable and appeared to be least affected by the course of life events. O predicted itself and was also predicted by one's level of education. This conflictual finding of moderate stability and moderate change is reconciled by considering personality development within an interactionist framework.