Age Differences in the Variance of Personality Characteristics

0456715 - PSÚ 2016 RIV BE eng J - Journal Article
Mottus, R. - Allik, J. - Hřebíčková, Martina - Kööts-Ausmees, L. - Realo, A.
Age Differences in the Variance of Personality Characteristics.
European Journal of Personality. Roč. 30, č. 1 (2016), s. 4-11. ISSN 0890-2070. E-ISSN 1099-0984
R&D Projects: GA ČR GA13-25656S
Institutional support: RVO:68081740
Keywords : variance * individual differences * personality * five-factor model
Subject RIV: AN - Psychology
Impact factor: 3.707, year: 2016
Method of publishing: Limited access
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/per.2036

In contrast to mean-level comparisons, age group differences in personality trait variance have received only passing research interest. This may seem surprising because individual differences in personality characteristics are exactly what most of personality psychology is about. Because different proposed mechanisms of personality development may entail either increases or decreases in variance over time, the current study is exploratory in nature. Age differences in variance were tested by comparing the standard deviations of the five-factor model domain and facet scales across two age groups (20 to 30 years old versus 50 to 60 years old). Samples from three cultures (Estonia, the Czech Republic and Russia) were employed, and two methods (self-reports and informant-reports) were used. The results showed modest convergence across samples and methods. Age group differences were significant for 11 of 150 facet-level comparisons but never consistently for the same facets. No significant age group differences were observed for the five-factor model domain variance. Therefore, there is little evidence for individual differences in personality characteristics being systematically smaller or larger in older as opposed to younger people. We discuss the implications of these findings for understanding personality development.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0257202