Aa
Personality Set for Life By 1st Grade, Study Suggests
What do you think? I've read things like this for years. Supposedly why your formative years have such an impact on your whole life. I have grown much personally since I was 6!
Personality Set for Life By 1st Grade, Study Suggests
LiveScience.com – Fri Aug 6, 5:25 pm ET
Our personalities stay pretty much the same throughout our lives, from our early childhood years to after we're over the hill, according to a new study.
The results show personality traits observed in children as young as first graders are a strong predictor of adult behavior.
"We remain recognizably the same person," said study author Christopher Nave, a doctoral candidate at the University of California, Riverside. "This speaks to the importance of understanding personality because it does follow us wherever we go across time and contexts."
The study will be published in an upcoming issue of the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science.
Tracking personalities
Using data from a 1960s study of approximately 2,400 ethnically diverse schoolchildren (grades 1 - 6) in Hawaii, researchers compared teacher personality ratings of the students with videotaped interviews of 144 of those individuals 40 years later.
They examined four personality attributes - talkativeness (called verbal fluency), adaptability (cope well with new situations), impulsiveness and self-minimizing behavior (essentially being humble to the point of minimizing one's importance).
Among the findings:
Talkative youngsters tended to show interest in intellectual matters, speak fluently, try to control situations, and exhibit a high degree of intelligence as adults. Children who rated low in verbal fluency were observed as adults to seek advice, give up when faced with obstacles, and exhibit an awkward interpersonal style.
Children rated as highly adaptable tended, as middle-age adults, to behave cheerfully, speak fluently and show interest in intellectual matters. Those who rated low in adaptability as children were observed as adults to say negative things about themselves, seek advice and exhibit an awkward interpersonal style.
Students rated as impulsive were inclined to speak loudly, display a wide range of interests and be talkative as adults. Less impulsive kids tended to be fearful or timid, kept others at a distance and expressed insecurity as adults.
Children characterized as self-minimizing were likely to express guilt, seek reassurance, say negative things about themselves and express insecurity as adults. Those who were ranked low on a self-minimizing scale tended to speak loudly, show interest in intellectual matters and exhibit condescending behavior as adults.
Changing personality
Previous research has suggested that while our personalities can change, it's not an easy undertaking.
Personality is "a part of us, a part of our biology," Nave said. "Life events still influence our behaviors, yet we must acknowledge the power of personality in understanding future behavior as well."
Future research will "help us understand how personality is related to behavior as well as examine the extent to which we may be able to change our personality," Nave said.
Personality Set for Life By 1st Grade, Study Suggests
LiveScience.com – Fri Aug 6, 5:25 pm ET
Our personalities stay pretty much the same throughout our lives, from our early childhood years to after we're over the hill, according to a new study.
The results show personality traits observed in children as young as first graders are a strong predictor of adult behavior.
"We remain recognizably the same person," said study author Christopher Nave, a doctoral candidate at the University of California, Riverside. "This speaks to the importance of understanding personality because it does follow us wherever we go across time and contexts."
The study will be published in an upcoming issue of the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science.
Tracking personalities
Using data from a 1960s study of approximately 2,400 ethnically diverse schoolchildren (grades 1 - 6) in Hawaii, researchers compared teacher personality ratings of the students with videotaped interviews of 144 of those individuals 40 years later.
They examined four personality attributes - talkativeness (called verbal fluency), adaptability (cope well with new situations), impulsiveness and self-minimizing behavior (essentially being humble to the point of minimizing one's importance).
Among the findings:
Talkative youngsters tended to show interest in intellectual matters, speak fluently, try to control situations, and exhibit a high degree of intelligence as adults. Children who rated low in verbal fluency were observed as adults to seek advice, give up when faced with obstacles, and exhibit an awkward interpersonal style.
Children rated as highly adaptable tended, as middle-age adults, to behave cheerfully, speak fluently and show interest in intellectual matters. Those who rated low in adaptability as children were observed as adults to say negative things about themselves, seek advice and exhibit an awkward interpersonal style.
Students rated as impulsive were inclined to speak loudly, display a wide range of interests and be talkative as adults. Less impulsive kids tended to be fearful or timid, kept others at a distance and expressed insecurity as adults.
Children characterized as self-minimizing were likely to express guilt, seek reassurance, say negative things about themselves and express insecurity as adults. Those who were ranked low on a self-minimizing scale tended to speak loudly, show interest in intellectual matters and exhibit condescending behavior as adults.
Changing personality
Previous research has suggested that while our personalities can change, it's not an easy undertaking.
Personality is "a part of us, a part of our biology," Nave said. "Life events still influence our behaviors, yet we must acknowledge the power of personality in understanding future behavior as well."
Future research will "help us understand how personality is related to behavior as well as examine the extent to which we may be able to change our personality," Nave said.
I'm with Trish. I believe this is an inaccurate study. Things happen to individuals throughout their lifetimes that have a huge impact on their personalities. Tragedies, abuse, mental illness, etc., etc. This study, as with many studies is a big generalization. When I was a 1st grader, I was extremely boisterous, outgoing, popular, never met a stranger and my younger sister, 14 months younger than me was so shy she hid under my mom's skirt. Then, sometime in mid-elementary school, we totally switched personalities altogether. I became the introvert, awkward, no convidence, negative, etc., etc. and my sister blossomed and became very popular and outgoing. Then, as years went by, I experienced abuse, which also effected my personality. So, you really can't believe everything you read in these studies. That's my take on this. Susan400
I agree, trying to objectify human beings is a futile endeavor! The main thing I think they missed is how much personality is influenced by environment to begin with. personally I believe it's more environment and less biology, but you just can't separate the physiology from the environment. I also believe that environment can change your physiology and program your mind and bodies reactions and adaptability to the world around you.
People that have difficult early childhoods and are not given love, nurturing, sense of security and self esteem often have difficulty throughout their lives. It doesn't mean that you can't change, but it is not easy if you have not been given that basic sense of security early in life.
I find it interesting that scientists come up with and believe this kind of stuff. The idea that human beings can possibly be objective is is equally strange to me.
People that have difficult early childhoods and are not given love, nurturing, sense of security and self esteem often have difficulty throughout their lives. It doesn't mean that you can't change, but it is not easy if you have not been given that basic sense of security early in life.
I find it interesting that scientists come up with and believe this kind of stuff. The idea that human beings can possibly be objective is is equally strange to me.
I think this is a load of crap. I think that our personalities are inherent but that our environment has alot to do with the end result. What personality we are has influence in how we handle the environment thrown at us and I believe that environment and personality together are what shapes the child. What you teach a child with regards to values and standards and what you model for a child and how you treat that child has a great deal of influence on the results produced as they grow up.
Some children who grow up to be adaptable adults learned that as a survival tactic.
Adults who self-minimize are sometimes that way because they were taught to be humble about their accomplishments rather than celebrate them or that recognizing your talents and abilities is somehow self-aggrandizement rather than self-awareness. I know a number of persons who self-minimize who are also VERY interested in intellectual pursuits.
I could go on and on....I just think this is a load of crap aimed at those folks who would rather believe that they carry no responsibility for how their children turn out , that it's all pre-destined. An utter load of crap and this kind of thing pisses me off immensely. Probably....because I know who I started out as at 5 years old when I got handed off to my grandparents and what I ended up being after I got out of the concentration camp that was the home I was raised in. I rebuilt my life from there.
Personality is inherent but environment is very influential also.
Some children who grow up to be adaptable adults learned that as a survival tactic.
Adults who self-minimize are sometimes that way because they were taught to be humble about their accomplishments rather than celebrate them or that recognizing your talents and abilities is somehow self-aggrandizement rather than self-awareness. I know a number of persons who self-minimize who are also VERY interested in intellectual pursuits.
I could go on and on....I just think this is a load of crap aimed at those folks who would rather believe that they carry no responsibility for how their children turn out , that it's all pre-destined. An utter load of crap and this kind of thing pisses me off immensely. Probably....because I know who I started out as at 5 years old when I got handed off to my grandparents and what I ended up being after I got out of the concentration camp that was the home I was raised in. I rebuilt my life from there.
Personality is inherent but environment is very influential also.
Have an Answer?
You are reading content posted in the Hepatitis Social Community
A list of national and international resources and hotlines to help connect you to needed health and medical services.
Herpes sores blister, then burst, scab and heal.
Herpes spreads by oral, vaginal and anal sex.
STIs are the most common cause of genital sores.
Condoms are the most effective way to prevent HIV and STDs.
PrEP is used by people with high risk to prevent HIV infection.
