Sources of cumulative continuity in personality: a longitudinal multiple-rater twin study.
This study analyzed the etiology of rank-order stability and change in personality over a time period of 13 years in order to explain cumulative continuity with age. NEO five-factor inventory self- and peer report data from 696 monozygotic and 387 dizygotic twin pairs reared together were analyzed using a combination of multiple-rater twin, latent state-trait, and autoregressive simplex models. Correcting for measurement error, this model disentangled genetic and environmental effects on long- and short-term convergent valid stability, on occasional influences, and on self- and peer report-specific stability. Genetic factors represented the main sources that contributed to phenotypic long-term stability of personality in young and middle adulthood, whereas change was predominantly attributable to environmental factors. Phenotypic continuity increased as a function of cumulative environmental effects, which became manifest in stable trait variance and decreasing occasion-specific effects with age. This study's findings suggest a complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors resulting in the typical patterns of continuity in personality across young and middle adulthood.
Department of Psychology, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstrasse 25, Bielefeld, Germany. christian.kandler@uni-bielefeld.de
Christian
C
Kandler
Wiebke
W
Bleidorn
Rainer
R
Riemann
Frank M
FM
Spinath
Wolfgang
W
Thiel
Alois
A
Angleitner
D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D010551:Personality / Q000235:genetics*; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010641:Phenotype; D011594:Psychometrics; D012931:Social Environment; D014427:Twins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult