Abstract
In this paper, we demonstrate how an integrative approach to personality—one that combines within–person and between–person differences—can be achieved by drawing on the principles of dynamic systems theory. The dynamic systems perspective has the potential to reconcile both the stable and dynamic aspect of personality, it allows including different levels of analysis (i.e. traits and states), and it can account for regulatory mechanisms, as well as dynamic interactions between the elements of the system, and changes over time. While all of these features are obviously appealing, implementing a dynamic systems approach to personality is challenging. It requires new conceptual models, specific longitudinal research designs, and complex data analytical methods. In response to these issues, the first part of our paper discusses the Personality Dynamics model, a model that integrates the dynamic systems principles in a relatively straightforward way. Second, we review associated methodological and statistical tools that allow empirically testing the PersDyn model. Finally, the model and associated methodological and statistical tools are illustrated using an experience sampling methodology data set measuring Big Five personality states in 59 participants ( N = 1916 repeated measurements). © 2020 The Authors. European Journal of Personality published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Association of Personality Psychology
Highlights
Research has conceptualized personality as a set of stable predispositions or personality traits
The main debates in the personality domain have revolved around the number of trait dimensions needed to represent personality or whether and under which circumstances one should focus on broad traits versus narrow facets
We offered a dynamic systems approach to personality as a new way of conceptualizing and assessing individual differences
Summary
Research has conceptualized personality as a set of stable predispositions or personality traits. Building on the Dynamics-of-Affect model by Kuppens, Oravecz, and Tuerlinckx (2010), the PersDyn model captures three characteristics of changes in personality states: baseline, variability, and attractor strength. In the BHOUM model, such individual differences are represented by parameters that map directly onto the three elements of the PersDyn model: trait baseline, intraindividual variability, and attractor strength. Person-specific parameters of each of the five personality dimensions (i.e. baseline, variability, and attractor strength) were obtained by modelling the experience sampling data using five one-dimensional BHOUM models (Kuppens et al, 2010; Oravecz et al, 2016). Burn-in, or the number of initial iterations that was discarded from the posterior distribution, was set to 4000
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