Personality & Aging

1. Personality & Aging “an entity of the sort you are referring to when you use the first person pronoun ‘I’ ”(Adams, 1954) “what a person really is”(Allport, 1937) ... a distinctive pattern of behaviour, thought and emotion that characterizes each person’s response to life situations • unconscious motives or overt behaviour? • questionnaires, projective tests, interview • Personality type = several characteristics

2. Continuity or Change? Levels of Personality Structure/Function (McAdams, 1994) (1) Dispositional Traits • consistent across contexts • continuum/degrees of the characteristic (2) Personal Concerns • goals, life concerns, development, motivation (3) Life Narrative • everything together, creation of identity  potential for growth (1)  (3)

3. Dispositions & Trait Approach Principles of Trait Approach • comparisons of individuals • distinctive qualities / behaviours • stable • not necessarily specific behaviours • expression = trait x event • same trait, different behaviours • global description

4. McCrae & Costa’s 5 Factor Model Neuroticism: (a) hostility, anger, self-consciousness, depression  emotions (b) impulsiveness, vulnerability  behav. Extraversion: (a) warmth, gregariousness assertiveness  interpersonal traits (b) activity, excitement seeking, positive emotions  temperamental traits Openness to Experience: ideas, fantasy, aesthetics actions, values Agreeableness:quality of interpersonal interactions Conscientiousness: degree of organisation, persistence, motivation in goal-directed behav.

5. Research Using the 5 Factor Model • traits stable over developmental course • main features built-in at birth • interaction of core potential and environment • great change from 5-13 yrs, settling from • 21-31 yrs, stable from age 30! • similar findings in other studies, in other • locations, by other researchers • traits don’t change but roles, behaviours and • situations change with age • cohort differences:  introversion, rigidity • and inflexibility in older cohorts

6. BUT .. lots of things change after age 30! Masculinity/Femininity • less differentiated in late life • men  nurturing, expressive qualities • woman  assertiveness, more dominant Turning Inwardness controversial! •  interiority w/ age - tendency to become more • preoccupied w/ feelings, experiences, cognition BUT • stability of introversion-extraversion trait

7. Locus of Control • internal LOC =  psychological adjustment • active  passive mastery w/ age • at 40 - in control, at 60 - not in control • mixed results: , , and stability w/ age • may be dependent on variable examined •  internal LOC w/ intellectual functioning, • health and personal development • institutionalisation - mixed results • not ‘in control’ but ‘under control’

8. Problems/Concerns with Trait Approach • low test-retest items not included in inventory • validity of self-report technique • person = set of scores ??? • core/essential aspects of human nature? • no causal explanations of behaviour • ignores sociocultural context of development

9. Personal Concerns & Stage Approach Personal concerns • what people want at different times in life • strategies, defenses; not reducible to traits Stage Theories • qualitative, upward progression thru stages • little empirical data, strong theoretical basis Carl Jung • introversion increased w/ age • release of suppressed gender-related aspects

10. Erik Erikson’s 8 Stage of Man • interaction btwn inner maturational plan and • external societal demands  dialectical • epigenetic principle • stage = psychosocial crisis, 2 opposing forces • resolution of crisis  ego strengthened • social world widens with each stage • defeated qualities don’t disappear, • balance shifts • trust  identity  concern for next generation •  integrity

11. Erik Erikson’s 8 Stage of Man • trust vs. mistrust • autonomy vs. shame • initiative vs. guilt • industry vs. inferiority • identity vs. confusion • intimacy vs. isolation • generativity vs. stagnation • integrity vs. despair

12. Expanding Notions on Generativity 5 Types of Generativity (Kotre, 1984) • biological/parental • technical • cultural • agentic • communal

13. McAdams and colleagues • 7 components: demand, desire, concern, belief, • commitment, action, narration • in young, middle-aged, older adults measured: • concern for welfare of future generations • commitment: typical strivings in daily life • generative actions or behaviours performed • narrations: autobiographical recollections • concern, action: middle-age > older • commitment, narration: middle-age = older

14. Loevinger’s Theory of Ego Development • 6 stages observed in adults: • conformist • conscientious-conformist • conscientious • individualistic • autonomous • integrated • more empirically based stage theory • i.e., Sentence Completion Test • framework for examining relationship btwn • cognitive development and ego development

15. 65 Late adult transition 60 Culmination of mid adulthood 55 Age 50 transition 50 Enter mid-adulthd 45 Midlife transition Settling down 40 33 Age 30 transition 28 Enter adult world 22 Early adult transition 17 Childhood/Adoles. Life Transitions: Levinson’s Framework Late adulthood

16. Life Transitions: The Midlife Crisis • realisation of unfulfilled ambitions, worry • re: relationships, limited prospects • devastating experience or positive transition • media hype  research not very supportive • no strong evidence for this in women • time of gains and losses built on shakier ground do not occur to everyone, at specific ages

17. Life Narratives, Identity & The Self McAdams’ Life Story Model Life story = internalized narrative w/ beginning, middle and anticipated ending • narrative tone: emotional feel • imagery: sights, sounds, symbols, metaphors • themes: patterns of motivational content • ideological settings: beliefs, values, ideology • nuclear episodes: key scenes • characters: idealizations of the self • ending: legacy

18. Whitbourne’s Identity Theory Life-span construct = person’s life vs expectations 2 structural components: (1) Scenario expectations about the future • influenced by cultural norms • create a social clock (2) Life Story personal narrative history that coherently organizes past events • personal meaning, continuity • distortions make it acceptable to oneself

19. Assimilation Accommodation Whitbourne’s Model of Identity Development Identity Experiences • sources of identity: family, work • transitions as needed, when needed

20. Self-Concept • organized, coherent, integrated • patterns of self-perceptions Labouvie-Vief et al. (1995) • assessed self-representations in 11-85 yr. olds • spontaneous accounts of themselves • < 20 yrs.  undifferentiated representations • midlife  highly differentiated • late life  less differentiated

21. Mortimer et al. (1982) • 14 yr. study with male college freshmen • 4 dimension of self-image: • well-being • interpersonal qualities • well-being • unconventionality • as a group, stable structure of self-concept • some fluctuation along dimensions • intra-individually, related to life events

22. Possible Selves • ideas about different people we • could become in the future Cross & Markus (1991) • hoped-for selves: • 18-20  family concerns • 25-39  personal issues • 40-59  family issues • 60-86  personal issues • feared-selves: physical issues important • 2 young grps  becoming unattractive • 2 older grps  fear of inability for self-care

23. Ryff (1991) • possible selves to define well-being • 6 dimensions of well-being: • self-acceptance • positive relations with others • autonomy • environmental mastery • purpose in life • personal growth • past, present, future and ideal self-perceptions • of young, middle-age and older adults

24. Ryff (1991) cont’d ... • young, middle-aged, more accepting of ideal • and future selves than past or present • differences btwn ideal and present self-ratings • diminish with age