Five types of personality continuity in childhood and adolescence.
This study examines 5 types of personality continuity--structural, mean-level, individual-level, differential, and ipsative--in a representative population (N=498) and a twin and sibling sample (N=548) of children and adolescents. Parents described their children on 2 successive occasions with a 36-month interval using the Hierarchical Personality Inventory for Children (I. Mervielde & F. De Fruyt, 1999). There was evidence for structural continuity in the 2 samples, and personality was shown to be largely differentially stable. A large percentage had a stable trait profile indicative of ipsative stability, and mean-level personality changes were generally small in magnitude. Continuity findings were explained mainly by genetic and nonshared environmental factors.
De Fruyt
Filip
F
Department of Developmental, Personality, and Social Psychology, Ghent University, H. Dunantlaan 2, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium. Filip.DeFruyt@ugent.be
Bartels
Meike
M
Van Leeuwen
Karla G
KG
De Clercq
Barbara
B
Decuyper
Mieke
M
Mervielde
Ivan
I
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010551:Personality; D010552:Personality Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires