Changing personality traits with the help of a digital personality change intervention

Abstract

Personality traits predict important life outcomes, such as success in love and work life, well-being, health, and longevity. Given these positive relations to important outcomes, economists, policy makers, and scientists have proposed intervening to change personality traits to promote positive life outcomes. However, nonclinical interventions to change personality traits are lacking so far in large-scale naturalistic populations. This study (n = 1,523) examined the effects of a 3-mo digital personality change intervention using a randomized controlled trial and the smartphone application PEACH (PErsonality coACH). Participants who received the intervention showed greater self-reported changes compared to participants in the waitlist control group who had to wait 1 mo before receiving the intervention. Self-reported changes aligned with intended goals for change and were significant for those desiring to increase on a trait (d = 0.52) and for those desiring to decrease on a trait (d = −0.58). Observers such as friends, family members, or intimate partners also detected significant personality changes in the desired direction for those desiring to increase on a trait (d = 0.35). Observer-reported changes for those desiring to decrease on a trait were not significant (d = −0.22). Moreover, self- and observer-reported changes persisted until 3 mo after the end of the intervention. This work provides the strongest evidence to date that normal personality traits can be changed through intervention in nonclinical samples.

Personality trait stability and change

“…Change goals alone, however, may be necessary but not sufficient for achieving change. Recent intervention studies indicate that effective change in trait levels requires people to actively engage in tasks and challenges that pull their behavior in the direction of the desired trait levels (Hudson et al, 2019;Stieger et al, 2021). Notably, these and other personality intervention studies have typically followed participants over relatively short-time periods, ranging from 10 weeks to maximal 6 months.…”

Person-situation dynamics in educational contexts: A self- and other-rated experience sampling study of teachers’ states, traits, and situations

“…This has important implications for the coaching of teachers in training and practicing teachers. That is, although it is possible to change one's personality traits volitionally and in an enduring way, this is no easy task (see, e.g., Baranski et al, 2020;Hudson & Fraley, 2015;Stieger et al, 2021). Instead, modifying individuals' subjective and possibly biased interpretations of their environment may be more feasible, for example, by identifying those situation perceptions that may lead to maladaptive behaviors and developing cognitive strategies or thinking styles to modify those perceptions (Wood et al, 2019).…”

Person-Situation Dynamics in Educational Contexts: A Self- and Other-Rated Experience Sampling Study of Teachers’ States, Traits, and Situations

“…This has important implications for the coaching of teachers in training and practicing teachers. That is, although it is possible to change one's personality traits volitionally and in an enduring way, this is no easy task (see, e.g., Baranski et al, 2020;Hudson & Fraley, 2015;Stieger et al, 2021). Instead, modifying individuals' subjective and possibly biased interpretations of their environment may be more feasible, for example, by identifying those situation perceptions that may lead to maladaptive behaviors and developing cognitive strategies or thinking styles to modify those perceptions (Wood et al, 2019).…”