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. 2021 Dec:95:104157.
doi: 10.1016/j.jrp.2021.104157. Epub 2021 Oct 11.

Personality Change Profiles and Changes in Cognition Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults

Mirjam Stieger  1 , Yujun Liu  2 , Eileen K Graham  3 , Jenna DeFrancisco  1 , Margie E Lachman  1
Affiliations

Personality Change Profiles and Changes in Cognition Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults

Mirjam Stieger et al. J Res Pers. 2021 Dec.

Abstract

Research on the relationship between personality traits and cognitive abilities has primarily used cross-sectional designs and considered personality traits individually in relation to cognitive dimensions. This study (N = 2,652) examined the relationship between Big Five personality change profiles and change in cognitive factors, episodic memory and executive functioning. Latent profile analysis was used to capture patterns of change across the Big Five traits. Three profiles of personality change were defined: Decreasers, Maintainers, and Increasers. The Decreasers declined more in episodic memory compared to the Increasers and Maintainers. Also, the Decreasers declined more in executive functioning compared to the Increasers, but not the Maintainers. The findings advance our understanding of the links between patterns of personality change and cognitive aging.

Keywords: Cognitive aging; Episodic memory; Executive functioning; Latent Profile Analysis; Personality change.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Latent Profiles of Personality Change Scores
Figure 2
Figure 2
Change in Episodic Memory by Personality Change Profile Note. EM: Episodic memory; Error bars represent standard errors of the mean.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Change in Executive Functioning by Personality Change Profile Note. EF: Executive functioning; Error bars represent standard errors of the mean.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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