Work

Examining Concurrent and Longitudinal Relations Between Personality Traits and Social Well-being in Adulthood

Year: 2012

Type: article

Abstract: Past work has demonstrated that Big Five personality traits both predict relationship success and respond to changes in relationship status. The current study extends this work by examining how developments on the Big Five traits correspond to another important social outcome in adulthood, social well-being. Using the Mid-Life Development in the U.S. longitudinal data sample of adults, the authors examined traits and social well-being at two time points, roughly 9 years apart. Results find support for two primary claims. First, initial levels of social well-being correlated positively with initial standing on extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability, and openness. Second, changes in social well-being over time coincided with changes on these traits, in the same directions. Taken together, these findings provide broad support that trait development and social well-being development coincide during adulthood.

Source: Social Psychological and Personality Science

DOI: 10.1177/1948550611433888

Authors: Patrick L. Hill, Nicholas A. Turiano, Daniel K. Mroczek, Brent W. Roberts

Institutions: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Purdue University West Lafayette

Language: English

Topic: Personality Traits and Psychology

Subfield: Clinical Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funder: National Institute on Aging