The development of personality extremity from childhood to adolescence

Relations to internalizing and externalizing problems

Bibliographic Data

ID10165278
AuthorsAlithe L Van Den Akker (0000-0002-4981-5265, Utrecht University, corresponding author), Peter Prinzie (0000-0003-3441-7157, Utrecht University), Maja Deković (0000-0002-8698-9037, Utrecht University), Amaranta D De Haan (0000-0002-3792-662X), Jessica J Asscher (0000-0002-8169-4301), Thomas A Widiger (0000-0003-1127-3234, University of Kentucky), Thomas Widiger
Year2013
Volume105
Issue6
Pages1038-1048
Publication date2013-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Personality and Social Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0022-3514 • E-ISSN: 1939-1315
PublisherAmerican Psychological Association (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1037/a0034441
PMID24295382
OpenAlexW2012168109
LanguageEN
Citations received4
References cited18

This study investigated the development of personality extremity (deviation of an average midpoint of all 5 personality dimensions together) across childhood and adolescence, as well as relations between personality extremity and adjustment problems. For 598 children (mean age at Time 1 = 7.5 years), mothers and fathers reported the Big Five personality dimensions 4 times across 8 years. Children's vector length in a 5-dimensional configuration of the Big Five dimensions represented personality extremity. Mothers, fathers, and teachers reported children's internalizing and externalizing problems at the 1st and final measurement. In a cohort-sequential design, we modeled personality extremity in children and adolescents from ages 6 to 17 years. Growth mixture modeling revealed a similar solution for both mother and father reports: a large group with relatively short vectors that were stable over time (mother reports: 80.3%; father reports: 84.7%) and 2 smaller groups with relatively long vectors (i.e., extreme personality configuration). One group started out relatively extreme and decreased over time (mother reports: 13.2%; father reports: 10.4%), whereas the other group started out only slightly higher than the short vector group but increased across time (mother reports: 6.5%; father reports: 4.9%). Children who belonged to the increasingly extreme class experienced more internalizing and externalizing problems in late adolescence, controlling for previous levels of adjustment problems and the Big Five personality dimensions. Personality extremity may be important to consider when identifying children at risk for adjustment problems

Big Five personality traits · Developmental psychology · Personality · Personality development · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Personality Disorders and Psychopathology · Personality Traits and Psychology · Psychology · Social Psychology

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