of work: Previous research in this Laboratory and elsewhere has shown that in American samples, mean levels of some personality traits decline whereas others increase in the decade of the 20s. Cross-sectional replications suggested that this might be a universal phenomenon. A pan-cultural test of that hypothesis was conducted using data from 26 cultures from five continents. Compared to older adults, college-age respondents around the world scored higher in Neuroticism, Extraversion, and Openness to Experience, and lower in Agreeableness and Conscientiousness. These cross-sectional findings were replicated in longitudinal analyses of an American sample for Neuroticism, Extraversion, and Openness, but Conscientiousness unexpectedly declined. Further research is needed to account for this anomaly. Both cross-cultural and longitudinal studies on personality, stress, and coping will continue.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Type
Intramural Research (Z01)
Project #
1Z01AG000180-15
Application #
6431404
Study Section
(LPC)
Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
Budget End
Support Year
15
Fiscal Year
2000
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Aging
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
State
Country
United States
Zip Code
Terracciano, Antonio; McCrae, Robert R (2007) Perceptions of Americans and the Iraq Invasion: Implications for Understanding National Character Stereotypes. J Cross Cult Psychol 38:695-710
Terracciano, Antonio; McCrae, Robert R; Costa Jr, Paul T (2006) Longitudinal trajectories in Guilford-Zimmerman temperament survey data: results from the Baltimore longitudinal study of aging. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 61:P108-16
Terracciano, Antonio; Costa Jr, Paul T; McCrae, Robert R (2006) Personality plasticity after age 30. Pers Soc Psychol Bull 32:999-1009
Costa Jr, Paul T; McCrae, Robert R (2006) Age changes in personality and their origins: comment on Roberts, Walton, and Viechtbauer (2006). Psychol Bull 132:26-8
McCrae, Robert R; Terracciano, Antonio; Personality Profiles of Cultures Project (2005) Universal features of personality traits from the observer's perspective: data from 50 cultures. J Pers Soc Psychol 88:547-61
Terracciano, Antonio; McCrae, Robert R; Brant, Larry J et al. (2005) Hierarchical linear modeling analyses of the NEO-PI-R scales in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. Psychol Aging 20:493-506
McCrae, Robert R; Terracciano, Antonio (2005) Personality profiles of cultures: aggregate personality traits. J Pers Soc Psychol 89:407-25
Costa Jr, Paul T; Bagby, R Michael; Herbst, Jeffrey H et al. (2005) Personality self-reports are concurrently reliable and valid during acute depressive episodes. J Affect Disord 89:45-55
Terracciano, A; Abdel-Khalek, A M; Adam, N et al. (2005) National character does not reflect mean personality trait levels in 49 cultures. Science 310:96-100
Weiss, Alexander; Costa Jr, Paul T; Karuza, Jurgis et al. (2005) Cross-sectional age differences in personality among medicare patients aged 65 to 100. Psychol Aging 20:182-5

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