Individual-level personality change was found over about three years at mid-life. Personality change was associated with changes in self-rated health. Increased agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness related to better health. Decreased neuroticism predicted better health.
Several important conclusions about personality development can be drawn from these studies. First, most mean-level personality-trait change occurs between the ages of 20 and 40.
Personality characteristics do change, but not much. For example, many people become somewhat more agreeable as they get older, but this does not apply to everyone or at every stage of life.
Personality tends to get "better" over time. Psychologists call it "the maturity principle." People become more extraverted, emotionally stable, agreeable and conscientious as they grow older. Over the long haul, these changes are often pronounced.
“People become nicer and more socially adapted,” says Mõttus. “They're increasingly able to balance their own expectations of life with societal demands.” Psychologists call the process of change that occurs as we age “personality maturation”.
Attention Seeking Behavior in Elderly Adults
It's possible that the answer to your question, “Why are old people so mean?” is simply that they want or need attention. Elderly people may be jealous of your social life, have low self-esteem, or just feel lonely.
While many may suspect that people's personalities are fixed in childhood, new research suggests that most people's personalities evolve throughout their lives.
However, as past research has shown, a permanent personality alteration takes at least 18 months of concentrated intervention. Recent studies have also shown that it's impossible to change your own personality—any change requires sustained outside encouragement by someone you are committed to.
One review of 152 longitudinal studies found the biggest changes in personality traits occur from childhood through the 20s. In the 30s, 40s, and 50s, we can and do still change, but these changes come more slowly, and require more effort, said Paul T.
According to Myers-Briggs theory, your personality type is inborn, and it doesn't change. However, the way you exhibit your type WILL change (and should) as you go through life. Why? As you age and mature you develop different facets of your personality type.
Agreeableness demonstrated a fairly linear increase with age whereas the pattern for Conscientiousness was curvilinear: scores increased up to a peak somewhere between the ages of 50 to 70 and then declined. Average levels of Neuroticism generally declined with age but increased slightly starting around age 80.
On average, levels of agreeableness and conscientiousness typically increase with time, whereas extraversion, neuroticism, and openness tend to decrease. Research has also demonstrated that changes in Big Five personality traits depend on the individual's current stage of development.
Agreeableness also increases with age, peaking between 50 to 70 years (Terracciano, McCrae, Brant, & Costa, 2005).
Anyone can have a personality disorder. But different types of personality disorders affect people differently. Most personality disorders begin in the teen years when your personality further develops and matures. As a result, almost all people diagnosed with personality disorders are above the age of 18.
Personality disorders typically emerge in adolescence and continue into adulthood. They may be mild, moderate or severe, and people may have periods of "remission" where they function well. Personality disorders may be associated with genetic and family factors.
Personality Trait Change Is Normal
So, your personality is quite likely to change within the next six years, especially if you are young. For example, chances are at least one in three that the feedback that you get for any given Big Five trait changes.
Middle age is the period of age beyond young adulthood but before the onset of old age. The exact range is disputed, but the general consensus has placed middle age as the ages of 40 to 60. This phase of life is marked by gradual physical, cognitive, and social changes in individuals as they age.
Then, in our 30s and 40s, the brain starts to shrink, with the shrinkage rate increasing even more by age 60. Like wrinkles and gray hair that start to appear later in life, the brain's appearance starts to change, too. And our brain's physical morphing means that our cognitive abilities will become altered.
Personality change across generations
Using different growth models, Brandt and colleagues found that people's conscientiousness and agreeableness tended to increase as they aged, whereas neuroticism and openness tended to decrease. Extraversion remained more stable across the lifespan.
Personality is not set in stone. While research finds some long-term consistency in measures of different personality traits, it also suggests that change is possible even in old age.
1. ESFJ. People who fit the ESFJ personality type can usually be recognized by their big hearts and kindly manner.
In particular, they talk about the "Big Five": openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism. Evidence suggests that these traits aren't fixed at all, and some research shows you can intentionally change these personality traits.
As young adults look forward to their future, older adults tend to reflect and have negative feelings toward how their life has progressed. The author of the study also points to social media and technology as reasons why older adults are unhappy.
The social and emotional challenges that come with age may affect your levels of anger, too. Feeling lonely or isolated can be very frustrating, and you might experience anger if you feel like no one is listening to you. Anger is a common response to grief and loss as well.