Volitional Personality Change Research Articles

Examining the possibilities for volitional character change in compassion and intellectual humility through a three-month online intervention

While recent research indicates that people can intentionally change specific personality traits associated with self-improvement, it is unclear whether such volitional personality change interventions can work for improving other-oriented character traits such as compassion or intellectual humility. We conducted a three-month pre-registered online intervention focused on these traits with a representative sample of U.S. established adults (NT1 = 500, 4,731 total observations) in two active intervention groups for mutual comparisons. Results of self-reported weekly (state) and global (trait) assessments showed that people who chose intellectual humility showed significant increases in both state and trait intellectual humility, while people who chose compassion showed significant increases in state compassion, but no increases in trait compassion. Enjoyment of weekly tasks significantly predicted change in both state intellectual humility and compassion. Techniques typically used in volitional personality change interventions were found to be somewhat effective in promoting change, although the observed effects were more robust for intellectual humility. This study provides novel insights into the challenges of promoting volitional change in character traits.

Actual and volitional personality change across study abroad.

According to personality development theories, the dramatic environmental transition of study abroad may form a crucible for personality change. Location, social roles, and cultural familiarity suddenly shift, potentially disrupting old habits and creating new ones, building upon the typical maturation occurring during college age. The current study poses questions about selection and socialization effects of study abroad on personality, actual and volitional change in personality, and whether adjustment to study abroad catalyzes change. Longitudinal studies were conducted with Japanese students studying for one year in the USA (N=300), and a comparison sample of students in an English-language program at their university in Japan (N=108). Big Five personality traits and trait-relevant behavior were assessed at the beginning and end of the programs, along with three types of volitional change: expectations, perceptions, and desires. Study abroad showed selection effects for higher Extraversion and Emotional Stability traits and developmental and socialization effects of increases in Openness behavior. Expected and perceived change corresponded with actual change (but desired change did not), and cultural adjustment predicted socially desirable trait-relevant behavior before students' return home. Study abroad was revealed as an environment wherein students both subjectively experienced and actually demonstrated changes in trait-relevant behavior.

Who in the world is trying to change their personality traits? Volitional personality change among college students in six continents.

Recent research conducted largely in the United States suggests that most people would like to change one or more of their personality traits. Yet almost no research has investigated the degree to which and in what ways volitional personality change (VPC), or individuals' active efforts toward personality change, might be common around the world. Through a custom-built website, 13,278 college student participants from 55 countries and one of a larger country (Hong Kong, S.A.R.) using 42 different languages reported whether they were currently trying to change their personality and, if so, what they were trying to change. Around the world, 60.40% of participants reported that they are currently trying to change their personalities, with the highest percentage in Thailand (81.91%) and the lowest in Kenya (21.41%). Among those who provide open-ended responses to the aspect of personality they are trying to change, the most common goals were to increase emotional stability (29.73%), conscientiousness (19.71%), extraversion (15.94%), and agreeableness (13.53%). In line with previous research, students who are trying to change any personality trait tend to have relatively low levels of emotional stability and happiness. Moreover, those with relatively low levels of socially desirable traits reported attempting to increase what they lacked. These principal findings were generalizable around the world. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Who wants to change and how? On the trait-specificity of personality change goals.

The study of volitional personality change has received increasing attention in recent years, suggesting that individuals want to change for the better particularly on those socially desirable characteristics that they lack. However, individuals do not want to change for the better on all (even socially desirable) traits alike. In a meta-analytic summary of evidence on the Big Five, we demonstrate that individuals' trait levels are only negatively related to their change goals for Neuroticism, Extraversion, and Conscientiousness, but not for Agreeableness and Openness to Experience. In three studies, two of them preregistered, we replicated these meta-analytic findings using the HEXACO model, showing negative relations between trait levels and change goals for all dimensions, except Honesty-Humility and Openness to Experience. Strikingly, however, these trait-specific differences in correlations of trait levels and change goals disappeared once providing individuals with personality feedback before assessing their change goals, suggesting that individuals may generally want to change for the better once having sufficient self-knowledge. Nonetheless, the mechanisms driving this desire differ between traits: Whereas the perceived social desirability of individuals' trait levels accounted for change goals on most HEXACO dimensions, it did not account for change goals on Honesty-Humility and Openness to Experience. By implication, a desire to have socially desirable characteristics that one lacks can explain change goals for some traits, but not for those traits underlying individual differences in values. As an aside, the studies offer vital information on personality development of the HEXACO dimensions over time, spanning 10 and 3.5 years, respectively. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

On the efficacy of volitional personality change in young adulthood: Convergent evidence using a longitudinal personal goal paradigm

The frequency, effectiveness, and impact of personality change goal (PCG) pursuit was explored using a longitudinal goal-setting paradigm within two multi-wave prospective longitudinal studies employing both a university student (study 1; n = 1468) and community adult (study 2; n = 248) sample. Self-determination theory (SDT) was incorporated to explore the extent to which PCGs reflect autonomous processes. Five major findings were revealed in study 1: (1) 20% of participants generated a PCG as one of their three yearly goals; (2) participants reported more progress on their PCGs than on other goals; (3) PCGs were more autonomous relative to other personal goals; (4) Autonomous motivation for goal pursuit was more strongly associated with PCG progress, relative to other goals; and (5) PCG progress resulted in improved psychological well-being over time. Study 2 replicated the motivational findings of study 1 within a community adult sample, and found evidence supporting the validity of the proposed longitidunal goal-setting paradigm. The present studies contribute to current PCG literature by using an alternate goal-assessment method that distinguishes desires to change from meaningful goal intentions and integrated SDT to enhance our understanding of volitional personality change.

Supplemental Material for Who in the World Is Trying to Change Their Personality Traits? Volitional Personality Change Among College Students in Six Continents

Supplemental Material for Who in the World Is Trying to Change Their Personality Traits? Volitional Personality Change Among College Students in Six Continents

From desire to development? A multi-sample, idiographic examination of volitional personality change

Using an idiographic-nomothetic methodology, we assessed individuals’ ability to change their personality traits without therapeutic or experimental involvement. Participants from internet and college populations completed trait measures and reported current personality change desires. Self-reported traits as well as perceptions of trait change were collected after 1-year (Internet) and 6-months (College). In large part, volitional personality change desires did not predict actual change. When desires did predict change, (a) desired increases in Extraversion, Agreeableness and Conscientiousness corresponded with decreases in corresponding traits, (b) participants perceived more change than actually occurred, and (c) decreases in Emotional Stability predicted perceptions of personality change. Results illustrate the difficulty in purposefully changing one’s traits when left to one’s own devices.

You have to follow through: Attaining behavioral change goals predicts volitional personality change.

Prior research has found that people's desires to change their personality traits predict corresponding subsequent trait growth over time. However, few studies have examined the processes through which people can volitionally change their personality traits. Thus, it remains unclear whether merely desiring change predicts trait growth or whether actively pursuing change is necessary. The present study was a 15-week intensive longitudinal design that tested whether engaging in trait-typical behaviors predicted trait change. Participants provided self-report ratings of their personality traits and were able to freely accept and complete weekly "challenges"-prewritten behavioral goals that would pull their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in line with their desired traits. Results indicated that merely accepting behavioral challenges did not predict trait changes. Rather, only actually completing challenges (i.e., performing trait-typical behaviors) predicted trait change over time. Thus, merely wanting to change does not appear to be sufficient to evoke trait growth; successfully changing one's personality traits may require actively and successfully implementing behaviors to change oneself. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Do people know how they’ve changed? A longitudinal investigation of volitional personality change and participants’ retrospective perceptions thereof

Prior research has found that most people want to change their personalities. Moreover, these change goals predict trait growth. The present study extended this by examining both actual change in self-report traits and people’s perceptions of how they have changed across 16 weeks. Results indicated moderate alignment between trait growth and perceived change (average r = 0.49)—with 39% of responses indicating perceived changes in the opposite direction of trait growth. Moreover, change goals predicted trait growth holding perceptions constant, and both trait growth and perceptions independently predicted well-being. These data elucidate how people perceive the process of volitional change. Moreover, these data suggest people change in desired ways, even if they do not perceive those changes.

Striving for change: The prevalence and correlates of personality change goals

This research explores the frequency and correlates of desires to change personality. In two student samples (Ns = 1339 and 447), participants listed personal goals and completed a measure of personality traits. Goals were coded for the expression of a desire to change an aspect of personality. The majority (66.8% and 74.7%) of participants listed at least one personality change goal. Goals were then coded for themes mirroring the poles of the Big Five traits. In both samples, goals to increase Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Emotional Stability were negatively related to levels of the corresponding traits. These findings highlight the prevalence of personality change themes within personal goals and contribute to the emerging literature on volitional personality change.

Predictors of volitional personality change in younger and older adults: Response surface analyses signify the complementary perspectives of the self and knowledgeable others

Goals to change personality traits have been linked to self-rated Big Five traits. Extending previous research, we investigated the associations between change goals and diverse personality characteristics (e.g., self-esteem), other-rated Big Five traits, and self-other agreement in an age-heterogeneous sample (N=378). Results replicated previous associations of change goals with age and self-rated traits. Additionally, change goals were stronger when others rated a person’s traits as low and when self-other agreement about traits was greater for extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. Associations of additional personality characteristics with change goals diminished when we controlled for the Big Five traits. We conclude that goals to change personality traits primarily reflect the perspective of the self and, for some traits, of knowledgeable others.

Changing for the Better? Longitudinal Associations Between Volitional Personality Change and Psychological Well-Being.

Recent research has found that a vast majority of people want to change their personality traits--and they may be able to find some degree of success in doing so. However, desires for self-change have been theoretically and empirically linked to reduced well-being. The present study utilized a longitudinal design to better understand the associations between people's desires and attempts to change their personality traits and their psychological well-being. Results indicated that possessing change goals did not necessarily predict growing deficits in well-being over time. In contrast, people who were able to change their personality traits in ways that aligned with their desires tended to experience increases in well-being over time. These findings are consistent with theory that dissatisfaction can precipitate change goals, and successful change can ameliorate dissatisfaction.

Lay Conceptions of Volitional Personality Change: From Strategies Pursued to Stories Told.

Recent research suggests that individuals play an active role in their own personality development. Here, we investigated lay conceptions of this volitional personality change process. In Study 1, participants (N = 602) provided open-ended descriptions of their desired personality changes as well as the strategies they were using to achieve these changes. In Study 2, participants (N = 578) completed these same measures and provided narrative descriptions of the emergence of their desires for (and previous) personality changes. Desired changes were quantified in a manner consistent with the Five-Factor Model (though desires pertinent to Openness to Experience were rare), whereas reported strategies were distinguished on the basis of cognitive and behavioral content. Desires to increase in Extraversion corresponded negatively with the use of cognitive strategies and positively with the use of behavioral strategies, whereas desires to increase in Agreeableness exhibited the opposite pattern. Finally, desires for change were typically construed as stimulated by specific events, whereas previous personality changes were attributed to shifts in social roles. Laypersons hold a diverse range of desired changes and strategies. In addition, different categories of events are recognized as catalysts of desires for (and previous) changes.