Just how malleable is your personality?

Personality is relatively stable, but not set in stone. Research shows that our personality changes over the course of our lives – through maturation processes and major life events. However, deliberate changes are only possible within a limited range. A shy person will generally not become an outgoing one. But those who know their personality can work on behavioral habits in a targeted way.

At a Glance:

• Personality describes an individual’s consistent patterns of behavior and experience.
• Personality begins to stabilize in childhood and adolescence.
• Changes occur through natural maturation and major life events.
• Deliberate personality change in adulthood is only possible within a limited range.
• Self-awareness – for example through the ID37 personality test – helps to recognize and make use of one’s own range of flexibility.

What exactly is personality?

Personality describes a person’s individuality in terms of the consistent patterns of their behavior and experience. The concept of “consistency” implies temporal stability (Asendorpf, 2015). The human personality begins to stabilize already in childhood and adolescence (Asendorpf, 2016) – it is not an infinitely malleable construct but rather a relatively enduring characteristic.

Does personality change over the course of a lifetime?

Yes – personality is not static but changes through maturation and major life events. In the past, the assumption was that personality development was completed by the age of 30. More recent findings have disproved this (Asendorpf, 2016).

Longitudinal studies point to personality change driven by two factors:

• Maturation processes: Conscientiousness, for example, increases up to about the age of 40 (Roberts et al., 2006; Specht et al., 2011).
• Major life events: Extraversion declines more sharply after marriage, while conscientiousness rises more steeply after entering the workforce (Specht et al., 2011).

Can we deliberately change our personality?

Only to a limited extent – because personality stabilizes early, targeted interventions in adulthood are unlikely to deliver significant results. Dr. Jan Dörendahl, a researcher on the ID37 development team at the University of Luxembourg, explains: if intervention-induced change were easily achievable, people would grow increasingly similar to one another – and individuality would be diminished.

Certain personality traits are regarded as socially desirable, others as less so (Asendorpf, 2015). The temptation to deliberately strengthen “desirable” traits would be considerable – yet research shows clear limits.

What scope is there for personality change?

Every person has an individual behavioral range within which situational fluctuations are possible. With the right methods, these fluctuations can be transformed into new behavioral habits. But generally, a shy person will not become an outgoing one.

The crucial point: self-awareness is the prerequisite for recognizing and making use of one’s own range of flexibility. Those who know their personality can develop behavioral strategies that align with their personality structure – rather than working against it.

How does self-awareness support personal development?

The ID37 personality test captures 16 life motives and reveals what drives a person – providing a solid foundation for targeted personal development. Unlike type-based tests, ID37 captures an individual’s personality across multiple dimensions in a differentiated way. This helps to understand one’s own scope for action and plan development steps that fit one’s personality.

Further details on the development of the ID37 test and the underlying psychological foundations can be found in the publication “Personality Assessment with ID37”. Those looking to explore the role of personality assessment in coaching can find further insights from Prof. Dr. Christoph Kemper.

Sources:

• Asendorpf, J. (2015). Persönlichkeitspsychologie für Bachelor. 3rd updated edition. Springer.
• Asendorpf, J. (2016). Stabilität, Veränderung und Vorhersagekraft der Persönlichkeit. In K. Sonntag (eds.), Personalentwicklung in Organisationen, 4th edition. Hogrefe.
• Roberts, B. W., Walton, K. E. & Viechtbauer, W. (2006). Patterns of mean-level change in personality traits across the life course. Psychological Bulletin, 132(1), 1–25.
• Specht, J., Egloff, B. & Schmukle, S. C. (2011). Stability and change of personality across the life course. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 101(4), 862–882.

Frequently Asked Questions About Personality Change

• Is personality development complete by 30?
  No. This assumption is considered outdated. Studies show that personality traits continue to change after 30 – though to a lesser extent than in younger years.
• Which life events change personality?
  Major events such as marriage, entering the workforce or parenthood can produce measurable changes – for example, a decline in extraversion or an increase in conscientiousness.
• Can coaching change your personality?
  Coaching does not change core personality but can help reflect on behavioral patterns and develop new habits within one’s own range of flexibility.
• What does the ID37 personality test measure?
  ID37 captures 16 life motives that reveal what drives a person. The results help to understand one’s own scope for action and make targeted use of it.