title: Personality trait change across late childhood to young adulthood: Evidence for nonlinearity and sex differences in change.
abstract: We explored patterns of self-reported personality trait change across late childhood through young adulthood in a sample assessed up to 4 times on the lower-order facets of Positive Emotionality (PEM), Negative Emotionality (NEM), and Constraint (CON). Multilevel modeling analyses were used to describe both group- and individual-level change trajectories across this time span. There was evidence for nonlinear age-related change in most traits, and substantial individual differences in change for all traits. Gender differences were detected in the change trajectories for several facets of NEM and CON. Findings add to the literature on personality development by demonstrating robust nonlinear change in several traits across late childhood to young adulthood, as well as deviations from normative patterns of maturation at the earliest ages.
authors.affiliation: Michigan State University.
authors.forename: C Emily
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Durbin
authors.affiliation: University of Michigan.
authors.forename: Brian M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Hicks
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterans Affairs, Palo Alto Health Care System.
authors.forename: Daniel M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Blonigen
authors.affiliation: University of Edinburgh.
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: University of Minnesota.
authors.forename: William G
authors.initials: WG
authors.lastname: Iacono
authors.affiliation: University of Minnesota.
authors.forename: Matt
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: McGue