Psychological Well-Being and the Big Five: A Reciprocal Story
Chris C. Martin & Corey L. M. KeyesDept. of Sociology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
Lifespan Social–Personality Preconference 2013Fourteenth Annual Meeting of SPSP, New Orleans, LA
IntroductionAs the life sciences progress: Decline in theories of unidirectional effects Rise in theories of cyclic and reciprocal effects e.g., biological coevolution, gene-culture coevolution, family systems
Personality psychology is a “late bloomer.”
Longitudinal Trait Change: A History
First Generation (Trait theorists)Emphasized stability, not change, to establish validityDid not use longitudinal methods
Second Generation:Change over time was studied, with a focus on stability, maturity, and individual differences
Third Generation:Life events, genetics, sociogenomics, reciprocal causation
First Generation
ContextPsychoanalytic theory preceded trait theoryStudying traits required theoretical justificationBasis of traits was lexical
Arguments About StabilityCritics of traits emphasized situational varianceCounter-arguments
Second Generation
Pattern: Gradual change from stability to change as focus of research
Three Strains:Stability and Rank-Order Consistency -- Quantifying stability over the lifespan’s segmentsMaturation and Mean-Level Change -- Uncovering common maturation processesIndividual Differences-- Examining heterogeneity of trajectories--Life events
Third Generation: Causal Exploration
Explanations of both personality consistency and change:
Personality Consistency (Roberts & Caspi, 2003)--Genetic effects-- Attraction, selection, evocation, etc.-- Meta-process: identity clarity
Personality Change (Trzesniewski et al., 2003)-- Roles, social learning-- Work experiences, Relationship experiences, Historical/Political Factors
Recent Research I
Specht, Egloss, & Schmukle (2012) Examining mechanisms of personality maturation: The impact of life satisfaction on the Big Five
--German sample--Increases in life satisfaction covaried with positive increases in traits--Increase fit to environment may drive up satisfaction, which may then motivate personality change--Personality change may increase social rewards, which increase satisfactionLimitations--Only life satisfaction was measured
Recent Research II
Hill, Turiano, Mroczek, & Roberts (2012) Examining concurrent and longitudinal relations between personality traits and social well-being in adulthood
--American sample (MIDUS)--Incorporated four facets of social well-being--Latent growth curve analyses--Discovered covariation of social well-being and Big Five trait development
Overview of Current Study
--Study of covariation between trait change and well-being change--Incorporate three types of well-being
Emotional Wellbeing (EWB): Pertains to affective state (PA, SWLS) Psychological Wellbeing (PWB): Pertains to existential coping Social Wellbeing (SWB): Pertains to integration and connectedness
Psychological Well-Being (Ryff)
--Based on eudaimonia, an Aristotelian concept--Draws on conceptions from Erikson, Jung, Allport,
Maslow, Rogers, and others--Dimensions are: • Self-acceptance• Purpose in Life• Environmental Mastery• Positive Relations• Personal Growth• Autonomy
Social Well-Being
--Based on sociological conceptions of well-being--Draws on Durkheim, Seeman, and Marx--Dimensions are: • Social integration• Social acceptance• Social contribution• Social actualization• Social coherence
Mid-Life Development in the U.S. (MIDUS)
--MIDUS I (1995-96) and MIDUS II (2004-2006)-- Non-institutionalized, English-speaking adults, ages 25-74-- Random digit dialing led to phone interview and questionnaire
Measures of Traits, Well-Being, Environment
Big Five: Combined 25 adjectives from multiple scales (Lachman & Weaver, 1997)
Emotional Well-Being: 7 PA items, 1 SWLS item
Psychological Well-Being: Ryff's Scales of Psychological Well-Being
Social Well-Being: Keyes’s Scale of Social Well-Being
Perceived Neighborhood Quality
Perceived Neighborhood Quality/Health (α = .68)
A. I feel safe being out alone in my neighborhood during the daytime
B. I feel safe being out alone in my neighborhood at night.C. I could call on a neighbor for help if I needed itD. People in my neighborhood trust each other
High scores reflect positive perception of home & neighborhood (Keyes, 1998).
In MIDUS I:Range = 1–4. Mean = 3.4. SD = .5.Skewness = -1.1
Data Analysis
Used difference Scores to measure longitudinal change in traits and well-being
Difference scores are useful when only two time points are used
(e.g., Graham & Lachman, 2012; Human et al., 2012; Turiano et al., 2012; see Rogosa & Willett, 1983)
Results: Extraversion (T2) as Outcome
Results: Psych. Well-Being (T2) as Outcome
Results: Summary
Change Scores
change in EWB
change in PWB
change in SWB
Trait
Extraversion *** *** **
Neuroticism *** *** ***
Conscientiousness ***
Agreeableness + *** **
Openness *** **
change in Extra
change in Neuro
change in Cons
change in Agree
change in Open
Wellbeing
EWB *** *** **
__Life satisfaction *** *** **
__PA *** ***
__NA *** *** * *** ***
PWB (Psychological well…) *** *** *** ***
SWB (Social well…) *** *** * **
Moderator: Perceived Neighborhood Quality(Using MODPROBE Macro in SPSS [Hayes;afhayes.com])
Interaction ΔR2
Well-Beings
(predicted by Trait change)
EWB (Emotional well…)Extraversion
Neuroticism
Conscientiousness *Agreeableness *
Openness * PWB (Psychological well…)
Extraversion
Neuroticism
Conscientiousness
Agreeableness * *Openness *
SWB (Social well…)Extraversion *Neuroticism
Conscientiousness *Agreeableness * *
Openness * *
Interaction ΔR2
Traits (EWB change)
ExtraversionNeuroticismConscientiousness Neg*AgreeablenessOpenness
Traits (PWB
change)
ExtraversionNeuroticismConscientiousnessAgreeableness * *Openness
Traits (SWB change)
ExtraversionNeuroticismConscientiousness * *Agreeableness * +Openness *
Discussion
--"Healthy" maturation on a trait is associated with positive well-being outcomes
--Reciprocally, growth in well-being is associated with "healthier" levels on health traits.
Approach and Avoidance
Extraversion and neuroticism are analogs of approach and avoidance (Elliot & Thrash, 2010)
Functions are appetitive goal pursuit (planned) and avoidance of threats (typically unplanned)
Approach goals are associated with greater well-being than avoidance goals
Similarities with Other Research
Upward focus:--Frederickson's Broaden and Build Hypothesis & upward spiral dynamics
Homeostatis Focus--Charles's Strength and Vulnerability Integration--”Set point" theory and hedonic treadmill (Diener, Lucas, and Scollon, 2009)
Pragmatic Nature of Traits
--State extraversion is for accomplishing goals, according to whole-trait theory (McCabe and Fleeson, 2012)--"Extraversion appears to facilitate people's goals to have fun, to connect with people, to entertain people, to stir things up, and to be a leader, among many others”
Limitations
Observer ratings would have improved trait measurement.
Multiple-wave studies would have helped for latent curve analysis (Singer & Willett, 2003).
Rogosa, D. R., & Willett, J. B. (1983). Demonstrating the reliability the difference score in the measurement of change. Journal of Educational Measurement, 20, 335-343. doi:10.1111/j.1745-3984.1983.tb00211.x
Ryff, C. (1989). Happiness is everything, or is it? Explorations on the meaning of psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57, 1069-1081.
Ouweneel, E., Le Blanc, P. M., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2011). Flourishing students: A longitudinal study on positive emotions, personal resources, and study engagement. The Journal of Positive Psychology, 6(2), 142-153
Salanova, M., Llorens, S., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2011). Yes, I can, I feel good, and I just do it!" On gain cycles and spir
Turiano, A., Pitzer, L. M., Armour, C., Karlamangla, A., Ryff, C. D., & Mroczek, D. K.(2012). Personality trait level and change as predictors of health outcomes: Findings from a national study of Americans (MIDUS). The Journals of Gerontology Series B:Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences. doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbr072
Fredrickson, B. L. (in press). Positive emotions broaden and build. In E. Ashby Plant & P.G. Devine (Eds.), Advances on Experimental Social Psychology, Volume 47.
Graham, E. K., & Lachman, M. E. (2012). Personality stability is associated with better cognitive performance in adulthood: Are the stable more able? Journal of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences. doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbr149
Keyes, C. L. M. (1998). Social well-being. Social Psychology Quarterly, 61, 121-140.
Lachman, M., & Weaver, S. L. (1997). The Midlife Development Inventory (MIDI) personality scales: Scale construction and scoring (Tech. Rep. No.1). Waltham, MA: Brandeis University, Department of Psychology.
McCabe and Fleeson, 2012, What Is Extraversion For? Integrating Trait and Motivational Perspectives and Identifying the Purpose of Extraversion. Also perhaps McCabe's dissertation: ""The Distinctiveness of Extraversion and Conscientiousness through Goal Pursuit: A Test of the Subcomponent-State Function Theory""
References
