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

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)

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

M c Crae & 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.

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 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

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

Locus of 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’ internal LOC =  psychological adjustment active  passive mastery w/ age at 40 - in control, at 60 - not in control

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

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

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

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

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

M c Adams 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

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

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

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

Life Narratives, Identity & The Self M c Adams’ 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

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

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

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

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

Possible Selves ideas about different people we could become in the future Cross & Markus (1991) hoped-for selves:  family concerns  personal issues  family issues  personal issues feared-selves: physical issues important 2 young grps  becoming unattractive 2 older grps  fear of inability for self-care

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

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