What does a personality science approach to post-traumatic growth reveal?

Abstract

Recent research has advocated for the value of conceptualizing post-traumatic growth as positive personality change. However, most research continues to use both methodologically suspect assessment tools and unsupported theoretical assumptions. How can personality psychologists contribute to the pursuit of high-quality research on this topic? The current special issue, which grew out of the European Association for Personality Psychology (EAPP) expert meeting on “Integrating Post-Traumatic Growth and Personality Change”, held at the University of Nottingham, on September 16–17, 2019, includes 15 papers that (1) examine short-term change in multiple personality constructs after adversity, (2) highlight the limitations of only assessing post-traumatic growth with retrospective questionnaires, and (3) provide theoretical and methodological recommendations for the continued advancement of the study of post-traumatic growth through the lens of personality psychology. While these papers all address specific ways to advance the personality science of post-traumatic growth, collectively they highlight the many unanswered questions that future research should tackle.

Broadening our Understanding of Adversarial Growth: The Contribution of Narrative Methods

“…The notion of adversarial growththat people learn, change, and develop in positive ways in their selves, worldviews, and relationships after adversityis a major focus of contemporary scientific scrutiny (Blackie & Jayawickreme, 2022). Research has consistently found that the positive framing of items and restricted response options in questionnairebased methods can result in inflated self-reports of adversarial growth that are not necessarily associated with adaptive outcomes (Boals & Liu, 2020;Boals & Schuler, 2018, 2019.…”

Examining Individual Differences in Personality Trait Changes After Negative Life Events

“…In recent years, a considerable body of research has examined how people change as function of negative life events, such as the loss of a job, friend, or romantic partner (Bleidorn et al, 2018;Denissen et al, 2019;Lüdtke et al, 2011;Specht, 2017). However, less attention has been given to the question why people react differently to negative life events (Blackie & Jayawickreme, 2022;Bleidorn et al, 2018;Jayawickreme et al, 2020;Mangelsdorf et al, 2019). This is surprising given that findings have consistently pointed to significant individual differences in the trajectories of personality traits following negative life events (Bleidorn et al, 2020;Bleidorn et al, 2021;Denissen et al, 2019;Schwaba et al, 2022).…”

“…Theories of personality development offer detailed hypotheses about selection effects of personality traits on the occurrence of life events (e.g., correspondence principle; Roberts & Nickel, 2017) as well as about socialization effects of normative life events on personality trait changes (e.g., social investment principle; Roberts et al, 2005). However, despite robust evidence that people change in different ways after experiencing a negative life event (e.g., Blackie & Jayawickreme, 2022;Bleidorn et al, 2020;Denissen et al, 2019), existing theories provide little guidance about the factors explaining individual differences in people's personality trajectories following the experience of negative life events.…”

“…People are embedded in different environments and these different environments can shape their reaction to negative life events (Beck & Bredemeier, 2016;Blackie & Jayawickreme, 2022;Bleidorn et al, 2020;Luhmann et al, 2014;Stroebe et al, 2006). For example, to explain the onset of depression after negative life events, it has been proposed that social support (Abramson et al, 1989) and social-environmental conditions (Slavich & Irwin, 2014) are relevant environmental factors.…”

“…However, previous studies focused on the mere occurrence of different event types. Recently, attention has turned to a more detailed assessment of life events: understanding how specific subjective and objective characteristics of life events might affect personality change and stability (Blackie & Jayawickreme, 2022;Bleidorn et al, 2020;Luhmann et al, 2021).…”