Personalities evolve and change throughout life, with individuals constantly experiencing rank ordering shuffles from childhood through adulthood. Although there is a decrease in shuffling with age, there is always some level of change observed. This lifelong process of personal evolution is known as the maturity principle, leading to increased dependability and emotional stability as individuals grow older.
Are you the same person you were a decade ago? Do we get better as we age? And is your sixth-grade class clown still funny?
- SOURCES:
- Aaron (Tim) Beck, professor emeritus of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania.
- Daniel Gilbert, professor of psychology at Harvard University.
- Olga Khazan, staff writer at The Atlantic.
- Brian Little, professor of psychology at the University of Cambridge.
- Jordi Quoidbach, professor of people management and organisation at ESADE, University Ramon Llull.
- Carl Rogers, 20th-century psychologist.
- Martin Short, actor and comedian.
- Richard Wiseman, professor of the public understanding of psychology at the University of Hertfordshire.
- Timothy Wilson, professor of psychology at the University of Virginia.
- RESOURCES:
- "I Gave Myself Three Months to Change My Personality," by Olga Khazan (The Atlantic, 2022).
- "You Can Be a Different Person After the Pandemic," by Olga Khazan (The New York Times, 2021).
- "The Theory of Modes: Applications to Schizophrenia and Other Psychological Conditions," by Aaron T. Beck, Molly R. Finkel, and Judith S. Beck (Cognitive Therapy and Research, 2020).
- “Brian Little: Are Human Personalities Hardwired?" by Guy Raz (TED Radio Hour, 2017).
- I Must Say: My Life As a Humble Comedy Legend, by Martin Short (2014).
- "The End of History Illusion," by Jordi Quoidbach, Daniel T. Gilbert, and Timothy D. Wilson (Science, 2013).
- "Age Differences in Personality Traits From 10 to 65: Big Five Domains and Facets in a Large Cross-Sectional Sample," by Christopher J. Soto, Oliver P. John, Samuel D. Gosling, and Jeff Potter (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2011).
- "The Rank-Order Consistency of Personality Traits From Childhood to Old Age: A Guantitative Review of Longitudinal Studies," by Brent W. Roberts and Wendy F. DelVecchio (Psychological Bulletin, 2000).