Psychobiological personality: environmental antecedents in childhood, and developmental trends and wellbeing outcomes in adulthood
Year: 2013
Type: dissertation
Abstract: Few prospective studies have studied the development and outcomes of personality from childhood to adulthood in the light of the psychobiological theory. This study takes personality, as defined by the psychobiological theory, as the core focus and explores the predictors, development, and outcomes of adulthood personality. This study also seeks to answer an important theoretical question in personality psychology: are there observable qualitative differences between temperament and character? The participants come from the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study (CRYF), which started in 1980. It consists of six different birth cohorts that were from three to eighteen years old in 1980. There have been eight follow-ups since then, the latest in 2012. The participants parents answered questions about home environment in 1983. Personality was measured in 1997, 2001, and 2007, depressive symptoms in 1997, 2001, and 2007, and well-being in 2001. There were 2814, 1083, 1940, and 1911 participants in studies I-IV, respectively. The results showed that character developed towards greater maturity in adulthood, although Self-transcendence decreased with age. Self-transcendence was the strongest predictor of overall personality change. Regarding temperament, Novelty Seeking decreased and Persistence increased slightly with age. Temperament and character traits followed different kinds of developmental trajectories. Parental care-giving and home-environment were more strongly associated with offspring character traits reflecting personality maturity (Self-directedness and Cooperativeness) than with offspring temperament traits. The differences were most evident in the cumulative effects model. Self-directedness and Cooperativeness were positively associated with well-being. Self-transcendence increased both positive and negative affect. High Harm Avoidance and low Self-directedness strongly related to depressive symptoms. In addition, sensitive (NHR) and fanatical people (ScT) were especially vulnerable to depressive symptoms. Temperament and character had qualitative differences, which has important theoretical significance. Character was strongly influenced by childhood family environment and was strongly associated with well-being. Character development should be facilitated when trying to reduce ill-being and increase well-being.
Source: Työväentutkimus Vuosikirja
Author: Kim Josefsson
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W1545463707