Life events and personality change: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Bühler, Janina Larissa; Orth, Ulrich; Bleidorn, Wiebke; Weber, Elisa; Kretzschmar, André; Scheling, Louisa; Hopwood, Christopher J. (2023). Life events and personality change: A systematic review and meta-analysis. European journal of personality Wiley 10.1177/08902070231190219

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While there is some evidence for changes in personality traits, life satisfaction, and self-esteem as a function of life events, effects have been small and inconsistent across studies. In this preregistered meta-analysis, we summarize the available evidence on personality change in response to life events using data from 44 studies, including 89 samples with a total of 121,187 participants. Results supported reliable and specific albeit relatively small effects of life events on personality change. Effects were larger and more consistent in the work than in the love domain, with graduation, the first job, a new relationship, marriage, and divorce showing the strongest effects on change in personality variables. Estimates were largely comparable across samples with and without comparison groups. Finally, moderator analyses indicated significant effects of time lag on the links between life events in the love domain and personality change but no effects of other examined variables. We discuss these results in the context of a field-wide turn towards designs that go beyond the study of single life events to examine the mechanisms of personality change using more sophisticated and sensitive designs.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Original Article)

Division/Institute:

07 Faculty of Human Sciences > Institute of Psychology
07 Faculty of Human Sciences > Institute of Psychology > Developmental Psychology

UniBE Contributor:

Bühler, Janina Larissa, Orth, Ulrich

Subjects:

100 Philosophy > 150 Psychology

ISSN:

0890-2070

Publisher:

Wiley

Language:

English

Submitter:

Ulrich Orth

Date Deposited:

18 Aug 2023 06:41

Last Modified:

18 Aug 2023 06:41

Publisher DOI:

10.1177/08902070231190219

BORIS DOI:

10.48350/185539

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/185539

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