Abstract

Test-retest correlations are a common way to quantify stability in personality. However, these single estimates obscure patterns of consistency as well as individual differences in consistency. Importantly, examining patterns of consistency provides insights into the underlying processes driving personality development. The current study used Bayesian multilevel asymptotic models to examine trends of person-centered consistency using item-level profile correlations across four to nine waves with four datasets (N = 21,616). Results indicated that there were, on average, very high levels of profile consistency across time, highlighting one aspect of the stable nature of personality. There were notable individual differences in initial profile correlations as well as in changes across time, however, indicating that some people are more consistently consistent than others. Findings highlight that people differ in how consistent they are and that these trends are replicable across datasets. These individual differences indicate that the mechanisms responsible for reinforcing personality consistency vary across people.

Committee Chair

Joshua Jackson

Committee Members

Patrick Hill, Randy Larsen

Degree

Master of Arts (AM/MA)

Author's Department

Psychology

Author's School

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Document Type

Thesis

Date of Award

Summer 8-2021

Language

English (en)

Author's ORCID

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8873-9405

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