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The Journals of Gerontology. Series B,... Feb 2020Personality, especially the dimensions of neuroticism and conscientiousness, has prospectively predicted the risk of incident Alzheimer's disease (AD). Such a... (Review)
Review
Personality, especially the dimensions of neuroticism and conscientiousness, has prospectively predicted the risk of incident Alzheimer's disease (AD). Such a relationship could be explained by personality and AD risk having a common cause such as a gene; by personality creating a predisposition for AD through health behavior or inflammation; by personality exerting a pathoplastic effect on the cognitive consequences of neuropathology; or by AD and personality change existing on a disease spectrum that begins up to decades before diagnosis. Using the 5-dimensional taxonomy of personality, the present review describes how these models might arise, the evidence for each, and how they might be distinguished from one another empirically. At present, the evidence is sparse but tends to suggest predisposition and/or pathoplastic relationships. Future studies using noninvasive assessment of neuropathology are needed to distinguish these 2 possibilities.
Topics: Aged; Alzheimer Disease; Disease Susceptibility; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Humans; Personality
PubMed: 29846724
DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gby063 -
Perspectives on Psychological Science :... Nov 2022Older adults report surprisingly positive affective experience. The idea that older adults are better at emotion regulation has emerged as an intuitively appealing... (Review)
Review
Older adults report surprisingly positive affective experience. The idea that older adults are better at emotion regulation has emerged as an intuitively appealing explanation for why they report such high levels of affective well-being despite other age-related declines. In this article, I review key theories and current evidence on age differences in the use and effectiveness of emotion-regulation strategies from a range of studies, including laboratory-based and experience sampling. These studies do not yet provide consistent evidence for age differences in emotion regulation and thus do not clearly support the assertion that older adults are better at emotion regulation. However, current approaches may be limited in describing and testing possible age-related changes in emotion regulation. Future work will need to more directly investigate individual trajectories of stability and change in emotion-regulation strategy use and effectiveness over time and also consider the possible roles of context, physiological reactivity, neural changes, acceptance, and personality.
Topics: Humans; Aged; Emotional Regulation; Emotions; Aging; Personality
PubMed: 35605229
DOI: 10.1177/17456916211059819 -
Current Opinion in Psychology Feb 2024We give an overview of what age stereotypes (AS) are, how they are acquired and change across the lifespan, and how they shape development in old age. AS reflect complex... (Review)
Review
We give an overview of what age stereotypes (AS) are, how they are acquired and change across the lifespan, and how they shape development in old age. AS reflect complex beliefs and expectations that vary on the following dimensions: They differ in content and valence, depending on the life-domain to which they are applied (context), they refer to different age-groups (reference), to older people or to oneself as an old person (direction of relevance), and they either describe how older people are or prescribe how they should be (modality). AS are acquired early, and later taint beliefs about one's own aging (internalization). Once they are part of the self-concept, AS act as self-fulfilling prophecies that shape the actual aging process (stereotype embodiment).
Topics: Humans; Aged; Aging; Stereotyping; Self Concept; Longevity
PubMed: 38035656
DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2023.101747 -
Psychology & Health Jul 2020Personality is associated with weight change and the development of obesity across adulthood. The present study examines whether significant weight change, including...
Personality is associated with weight change and the development of obesity across adulthood. The present study examines whether significant weight change, including weight loss and weight gain, is related to personality change in a large longitudinal sample of middle-aged and older adults. Participants were adults aged 50-92 years ( > 5000; 59% women, Mean age = 65.51, SD = 8.20) drawn from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS). Personality, demographic, health and staff assessed weight and height were obtained at baseline and 8 years later. Personality traits. Both weight loss and weight gain greater than 10% of baseline weight were related to a steeper decline in extraversion, openness and conscientiousness. Weight loss was further associated with the maintenance of neuroticism and to a steeper decline in agreeableness. This overall pattern of personality change was also associated with both unhealthy and healthy weight change. The associations were not moderated by BMI and generally remained significant after accounting for disease burden. The present study provides new evidence that both weight loss and weight gain are related to change in personality.
Topics: Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Female; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Middle Aged; Obesity; Personality; Weight Gain; Weight Loss
PubMed: 31631712
DOI: 10.1080/08870446.2019.1679372 -
Annual Review of Psychology Jan 2023Culture and personality are two central topics in psychology. Individuals are culturally influenced influencers of culture, yet the research linking culture and... (Review)
Review
Culture and personality are two central topics in psychology. Individuals are culturally influenced influencers of culture, yet the research linking culture and personality has been limited and fragmentary. We integrate the literatures on culture and personality with recent advances in socioecology and genetics to formulate the Socioecological-Genetic Framework of Culture and Personality. Our framework not only delineates the mutual constitution of culture and personality but also sheds light on () the roots of culture and personality, () how socioecological changes partly explain temporal trends in culture and personality, and () how genes and culture/socioecology interact to influence personality (i.e., nature × nurture interactions). By spotlighting the roles of socioecology and genetics, our integrative framework advances the understanding of culture and personality.
Topics: Humans; Personality; Culture
PubMed: 36100248
DOI: 10.1146/annurev-psych-032420-032631 -
Journal of the American Medical... Oct 2023Clinical observations and studies of retrospective observer ratings point to changes in personality in persons with cognitive impairment or dementia. The timing and... (Observational Study)
Observational Study
OBJECTIVES
Clinical observations and studies of retrospective observer ratings point to changes in personality in persons with cognitive impairment or dementia. The timing and magnitude of such changes, however, are unclear. This study used prospective self-reported data to examine the trajectories of personality traits before and during cognitive impairment.
DESIGN
Longitudinal observational cohort study.
SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS
Older adults from the United States in the Health and Retirement Study were assessed for cognitive impairment and completed a measure of the 5 major personality traits every 4 years from 2006 to 2020 (N = 22,611; n = 5507 with cognitive impairment; 50,786 personality and cognitive assessments).
METHODS
Multilevel modeling examined changes before and during cognitive impairment, accounting for demographic differences and normative age-related trajectories.
RESULTS
Before cognitive impairment was detected, extraversion (b = -0.10, SE = 0.02), agreeableness (b = -0.11, SE = 0.02), and conscientiousness (b = -0.12, SE = 0.02) decreased slightly; there was no significant change in neuroticism (b = 0.04, SE = 0.02) or openness (b = -0.06, SE = 0.02). During cognitive impairment, faster rates of change were found for all 5 personality traits: neuroticism (b = 0.10, SE = 0.03) increased, and extraversion (b = -0.14, SE = 0.03), openness (b = -0.15, SE = 0.03), agreeableness (b = -0.35, SE = 0.03), and conscientiousness (b = -0.34, SE = 0.03) declined.
CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS
Cognitive impairment is associated with a pattern of detrimental personality changes across the preclinical and clinical stages. Compared with the steeper rate of change during cognitive impairment, the changes were small and inconsistent before impairment, making them unlikely to be useful predictors of incident dementia. The study findings further indicate that individuals can update their personality ratings during the early stages of cognitive impairment, providing valuable information in clinical settings. The results also suggest an acceleration of personality change with the progression to dementia, which may lead to behavioral, emotional, and other psychological symptoms commonly observed in people with cognitive impairment and dementia.
Topics: Humans; Aged; Retrospective Studies; Prospective Studies; Personality; Cognitive Dysfunction; Dementia
PubMed: 37330217
DOI: 10.1016/j.jamda.2023.05.011 -
Current Opinion in Psychiatry Jan 2023People and communities around the world face many crises, including increasing burdens from disease, psychopathology, burn-out, social distrust, and acts of hate and... (Review)
Review
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
People and communities around the world face many crises, including increasing burdens from disease, psychopathology, burn-out, social distrust, and acts of hate and terrorism. Personality disorder is arguably both a root cause and a consequence of these problems, creating a vicious cycle of suffering caused by fears, immoderate desires, and social distrust that are inconsistent with rational goals and prosocial values. Fortunately, recent advances in understanding the biopsychosocial basis and dynamics of development in personality and its disorders offer insights to address these problems in effective person-centered ways.
RECENT FINDINGS
Fundamental advances have been made recently in the understanding of the psychobiology and sociology of personality in relationship to health, and in basic mechanisms of personality change as a complex process of learning and memory. Promotion of self-awareness and intentional self-control releases a strong tendency for people to seek coherence of their emotions and habits with what gives their life meaning and value.
SUMMARY
People have a strong drive to cultivate personalities in which their emotions and habits are reliably in accord with reasonable goals and prosocial values. Person-centered therapeutics provide practical ways to promote a virtuous cycle of increasing well being for individuals and their communities and habitats.
Topics: Humans; Temperament; Personality Disorders; Personality; Emotions; Psychopathology
PubMed: 36449732
DOI: 10.1097/YCO.0000000000000833 -
Psychological Medicine Jan 2024Psilocybin Therapy (PT) is being increasingly studied as a psychiatric intervention. Personality relates to mental health and can be used to probe the nature of PT's... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
BACKGROUND
Psilocybin Therapy (PT) is being increasingly studied as a psychiatric intervention. Personality relates to mental health and can be used to probe the nature of PT's therapeutic action.
METHODS
In a phase 2, double-blind, randomized, active comparator controlled trial involving patients with moderate-to-severe major depressive disorder, we compared psilocybin with escitalopram, over a core 6-week trial period. Five-Factor model personality domains, Big Five Aspect Scale Openness aspects, Absorption, and Impulsivity were measured at Baseline, Week 6, and Month 6 follow-up.
RESULTS
PT was associated with decreases in neuroticism ( = -0.63), introversion ( = -0.38), disagreeableness ( = -0.47), impulsivity ( = -0.40), and increases in absorption ( = 0.32), conscientiousness ( = 0.30), and openness ( = 0.23) at week 6, with neuroticism ( = -0.47) and disagreeableness ( = -0.41) remaining decreased at month 6. Escitalopram Treatment (ET) was associated with decreases in neuroticism ( = -0.38), disagreeableness ( = -0.26), impulsivity ( = -0.35), and increases in openness ( = 0.28) at week 6, with neuroticism ( = -0.46) remaining decreased at month 6. No significant between-condition differences were observed.
CONCLUSIONS
Personality changes across both conditions were in a direction consistent with improved mental health. With the possible exception of trait absorption, there were no compelling between-condition differences warranting conclusions regarding a selective action of PT ( ET) on personality; however, post-ET changes in personality were significantly moderated by pre-trial positive expectancy for escitalopram, whereas expectancy did not moderate response to PT.
Topics: Humans; Psilocybin; Escitalopram; Depressive Disorder, Major; Depression; Personality; Neuroticism
PubMed: 37264814
DOI: 10.1017/S0033291723001514 -
Scientific Reports Feb 2023Recent genomic, psychological, and developmental research shows that human personality is organized as a complex hierarchy that ascends from individual traits in many...
Recent genomic, psychological, and developmental research shows that human personality is organized as a complex hierarchy that ascends from individual traits in many specific situations to multi-trait profiles in two domains that regulate emotional reactivity (temperament) or goals and values (character), and finally to three integrated temperament-character networks that regulate learning to maintain well-being in changing conditions. We carried out person-centered analyses of the components of subjective well-being (positive affect, negative affect, and life satisfaction) to personality in both adolescents (N = 1739) and adults (N = 897). Personality was considered at each level of its organization (trait, temperament or character profiles, and joint temperament-character networks). We show for the first time that negative affect and life satisfaction are dependent on the personality network for intentional self-control, whereas positive affect is dependent on the personality network for self-awareness that underlies the human capacities for healthy longevity, creativity, and prosocial values.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Humans; Personality; Personality Disorders; Temperament; Genomics; Health Status
PubMed: 36849800
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29642-5 -
Clinical Psychology Review Dec 2022Expectations are a central maintaining mechanism in mental disorders and most psychological treatments aim to directly or indirectly modify clinically relevant... (Review)
Review
Expectations are a central maintaining mechanism in mental disorders and most psychological treatments aim to directly or indirectly modify clinically relevant expectations. Therefore, it is crucial to examine why patients with mental disorders maintain dysfunctional expectations, even in light of disconfirming evidence, and how expectation-violating situations should be created in treatment settings to optimize treatment outcome and reduce the risk of treatment failures. The different psychological subdisciplines offer various approaches for understanding the underlying mechanisms of expectation development, persistence, and change. Here, we convey recommendations on how to improve psychological treatments by considering these different perspectives. Based on our expectation violation model, we argue that the outcome of expectation violation depends on several characteristics: features of the expectation-violating situation; the dynamics between the magnitude of expectation violation and cognitive immunization processes; dealing with uncertainties during and after expectation change; controlled and automatic attention processes; and the costs of expectation changes. Personality factors further add to predict outcomes and may offer a basis for personalized treatment planning. We conclude with a list of recommendations derived from basic psychology that could contribute to improved treatment outcome and to reduced risks of treatment failures.
Topics: Humans; Motivation; Mental Disorders; Attention
PubMed: 36371900
DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2022.102212