Future time perspective and personality trait change during the retirement transition: Insights from a six-wave longitudinal study in Sweden.

Abstract

The present study examined associations between two future time perspective (FTP) dimensions (perceived opportunities and perceived time) and the Big Five personality traits during older adulthood, a developmental period that has received limited attention in personality development. Specifically, it tested whether FTP dimensions were cross-sectionally associated with personality traits, as well as if they predicted changes on those traits during a time when participants were transitioning to retirement. Participants from the Health, Ageing and Retirement Transitions in Sweden (HEARTS) study (N = 5,913, M age = 63.09 years) reported on their FTP at the initial assessment and on their Big Five personality traits on six assessments 1 year apart. Latent growth curve models were fit to examine FTP as a predictor of level and change in the Big Five traits over time, with perceived time and opportunities included as unique predictors. Results found that broader FTP was associated with higher extraversion, agreeableness, openness to experience, and conscientiousness, but lower neuroticism initially. However, results indicated associations were stronger and sometimes only significant for perceived opportunities not time. Regarding FTP as a predictor of personality trait change, modest evidence was found that perceived opportunities predicted changes in neuroticism and openness over time. The present study extends past work by showing the importance of capturing different components of FTP when examining personality traits during older adulthood. Research needs to further explore the longitudinal predictive effects of FTP, focusing on more proximal assessments and how FTP changes during retirement.

Age and sex differences of the PID-5-100 maladaptive personality traits throughout adulthood.

“…Sample 2 originally consisted of N = 515 participants, from which adults up until the age of 65 were selected. Besides the fact that participants older than 65 were underrepresented, the age of 65 can be considered a milestone age, as it usually coincides with the entrance of retirement and change in life roles (Hill et al, 2022; Schwaba & Bleidorn, 2019). The selected subsample hence included N = 379 participants (53.3% female, age range: 21–65, mean age = 43.15 years, SD = 13.41), drawn from the general community.…”

Subjective experiences of life events match individual differences in personality development.

“…agreeableness (Schwaba & Bleidorn, 2019), or increase in extraversion, conscientiousness, and emotional stability but decrease in openness (Hill et al, 2022). Studies that have compared individuals who experienced an event to a matched control group have found small differences, if any, between those who did and did not experience an event (Beck, 2019;van Scheppingen et al, 2016; but see Golle et al, 2019;Jackson et al, 2012).…”

Contemporary methodological considerations for key issues in research on personality disorder development.

“…Similarly, at an older age, the development of some maladaptive traits may interfere more with normative cognitive decline or physical health compared with other maladaptive traits. Moreover, the transition from work to retirement and the associated loss of certain functional roles (Hill et al, 2022; Schwaba & Bleidorn, 2019), or the death of the spouse (van Alphen et al, 2015), may also impact the development of specific maladaptive traits or aggravate specific personality pathology features, whereas other features remain stable or even decline. These notions of differential development of specific trait facets underscore the importance of assessing personality pathology at the fine-grained level, as contrasting facet-level trajectories may average each other out at the broader trait level (Schwaba et al, 2022).…”

“…Ever since, a flourishing field of research on the development of PDs in preadulthood has emerged (Klimstra et al, 2020; Sharp & De Clercq, 2020; Shiner & Tackett, 2014), primarily focusing at the between-person level and more recently also targeting process-based, within-person developmental issues (Giacomin & Jordan, 2016; Kaurin et al, 2022). Also for adult age, significant advances in our understanding of developmental principles and processes of PD development have been made (Hartung et al, 2022; Hopwood, Schwaba, et al, 2022; Wetzel et al, 2020), although such developmental issues in older adults are still largely understudied (Hill et al, 2022; van Alphen et al, 2015).…”