Robert Stelmack: Introduction to special issue

Abstract

Early life experiences may alter personality outcomes across the lifespan. Extremely low birth weight (ELBW) survivors appear to have a particular personality ‘type’ marked by increased levels of cautiousness and social conformity. It is, however, unclear if the experience of child sexual abuse (CSA) can alter this outcome.We utilized data from a prospective, longitudinal, birth cohort of ELBW survivors to examine the personality characteristics in the third and fourth decades of life of those exposed to CSA versus those who were not.At age 22–26 years, ELBW survivors who had experienced CSA were less likely to display social conformity (p < 0.01) and were less cautious (p < 0.01) than ELBW survivors who had not. At age 30–35, ELBW survivors who had experienced CSA were less likely to socially conform (p = 0.03), were less cautious (p = 0.03), and displayed higher levels of neuroticism (p < .01).ELBW survivors who have experienced CSA appear less likely to socially conform, are less cautious, and may experience higher levels of neuroticism in their 20s and 30s than those who were not exposed. These findings support the possibility that significant childhood experiences may lead to stable alterations in personality through the fourth decade of life.