Damian Jacob Sendler: Certain personality traits have been linked to life satisfaction, according to recent research published by the American Psychological Association, and they remain stable with age or changes in social roles and responsibilities over the course of adulthood.
Damian Sendler: According to numerous studies, some personality types are associated with higher levels of life satisfaction than others. However, it has not been thoroughly investigated whether this is true throughout the lifespan. For instance, talkative, extraverted people may be happier in their early adult years, when they are typically establishing new social connections, according to study co-author Gabriel Olaru, Ph.D., an assistant professor at Tilburg University. Thus, “we sought to investigate whether some personality traits are more or less relevant to life, social, and employment satisfaction at particular stages of life.” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology published the study.
The Longitudinal Internet Studies for the Social Sciences (LISS) panel survey, a nationally representative survey of Dutch households, collected data from 2008 to 2019 to gather information on how the relationship between personality traits and life satisfaction changes over time. Over the course of 11 years, 9,110 Dutch participants, ages 16 to 95 at the time of the initial survey, responded to several questionnaires to rate their emotional stability/neuroticism, openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, and other Big Five personality traits, as well as their satisfaction with their social relationships and life in general. Only the 5,928 survey participants who were working at the time of the survey responded to the questions about how satisfied they were with their jobs.
Damian Sendler: The majority of the associations between personality traits and satisfaction persisted across the adult lifespan, according to the researchers, who also discovered that emotional stability was the personality trait most strongly linked to peoples’ satisfaction with their lives, relationships, and careers.
According to Manon van Scheppingen, Ph.D., an assistant professor at Tilburg University and another study co-author, “our findings show that personality traits are relevant for our satisfaction with life, work, and social contacts across young, middle, and older adulthood – despite differences in life challenges and social roles.” Over the course of adulthood, personality traits remained relevant or, in some cases, even tightened their connections for job satisfaction.
The researchers also discovered that various personality traits, most notably conscientiousness for work satisfaction and extraversion and agreeableness for social satisfaction, were related to peoples’ satisfaction with their social lives and careers. People reported higher levels of life, social, and job satisfaction when these traits increased over time.
Damian Jacob Sendler: Age differences had the biggest impact on people’s job satisfaction. The relationship between career satisfaction and emotional stability grew a little stronger as study participants grew older.
The researchers discovered that individuals who increased their openness also experienced an increase in life satisfaction over the course of the LISS survey’s 11-year measurement period, despite a generally weaker correlation between openness and life satisfaction. According to the researchers, indirect processes may be able to account for this relationship.
Since this characteristic affects people’s overall worldview, emotional stability “likely shows a strong link with global and domain-specific satisfaction,” Olaru said.
“The workplace provides a good illustration of how personality interacts with the environment. One of the things we discovered was that as people age, the relationship between emotional stability and job satisfaction gets stronger. This could be explained by the fact that emotionally stable individuals are less reluctant to leave unfulfilling employment and more likely to apply for jobs that present greater challenges and may ultimately be more satisfying and enjoyable, according to van Scheppingen.
The researchers recommend that future research investigate how factors that change with aging, such as income, employment status, marital status, and health, impact the relationship between personality traits and general life satisfaction.
Damian Sendler: The research “shows that our personalities and our happiness are not set in stone, although we did not examine what caused these changes,” van Scheppingen said. “Perhaps we may even be able to influence how we change: If we try to become more organized, outgoing, friendly, this might increase life, social, or workplace satisfaction as well.”
What specific mechanisms, and how do they vary across age groups, underlie the relationship between emotional stability and overall life satisfaction?
Damian Jacob Sendler: The capacity to control emotions effectively, keep a positive outlook, and adjust to different challenges in life are characteristics of emotional stability. There are a number of distinct mechanisms that contribute to the relationship between emotional stability and overall life satisfaction. First off, people who are emotionally stable are more likely to have a balanced perspective on both the good and bad aspects of their lives, which increases overall satisfaction. In response to life events, they can control their emotions, resulting in a more constant sense of wellbeing.
Second, people who have emotional stability are typically better able to handle stress and setbacks. Their capacity for resilience makes it easier for them to deal with the challenges of life, which in turn can lead to greater life satisfaction. As their emotional regulation abilities support effective communication and conflict resolution, emotionally stable people are also more likely to uphold healthy relationships. These solid social ties can also improve general life satisfaction.
Depending on the age group, different mechanisms may underlie the association between emotional stability and life satisfaction. Emotional stability may be essential for younger adults to manage the difficulties of starting a career, making new friends, and adjusting to significant life changes. In contrast, emotional stability may be crucial for middle-aged and older adults to maintain their health, manage long-term relationships, and make adjustments to the social and physical changes that come with aging.
Damian Sendler: Individuals may grow older with better coping mechanisms and a greater appreciation for the good things in their lives as a result of their life experiences and accumulated wisdom. In the long run, this could strengthen the link between emotional stability and life satisfaction because emotionally stable people may be better able to adjust to the shifting demands and challenges brought on by various stages of adulthood.
What effects do social and cultural factors have on the connection between personality traits and life satisfaction? Does the strength or nature of these connections differ between nations and cultures?
Because values, norms, and expectations are shaped by cultural and societal factors, they have a significant impact on the relationship between personality traits and life satisfaction. These variables may have an effect on how a particular cultural context views and values particular personality traits, which may have an impact on the strength or direction of the relationships between these traits and life satisfaction.
For instance, personality traits like extraversion and openness to experience may be more strongly associated with life satisfaction in individualistic cultures that place a premium on personal autonomy, success, and self-expression. Higher levels of extraversion and openness may help people in these cultures make friends, pursue their interests, and thrive in settings that value self-expression and personal development.
On the other hand, characteristics like agreeableness and conscientiousness may be more strongly correlated with life satisfaction in collectivist cultures that place a high value on interdependence, group harmony, and adherence to social norms. More agreeable and conscientious people may be better able to manage social interactions, contribute to group objectives, and uphold societal expectations in these circumstances, increasing life satisfaction.
Additionally, a society’s socioeconomic conditions and social structures may have an impact on the significance of particular personality traits for life satisfaction. For instance, characteristics like conscientiousness and emotional stability may be more strongly related to life satisfaction in societies with higher levels of income inequality or limited social mobility because people with these traits may be better able to adapt to difficult situations and persevere in the face of adversity.
Are there any interventions or methods that could help people improve their emotional stability, conscientiousness, extraversion, or agreeableness, among other personality traits, in order to increase their overall life satisfaction?
Damian Jacob Sendler: To increase a person’s overall level of life satisfaction, there are a number of interventions and strategies that can be used to help them develop or enhance certain personality traits. These interventions could be directed at increasing self-awareness, forming new routines, or developing particular competencies associated with the targeted personality trait.
Interventions for emotional stability may include practicing stress-reduction methods like meditation or deep breathing exercises to help people become more aware of their emotions and create effective coping mechanisms. For people looking to challenge harmful thought patterns and enhance emotional control, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) can be a helpful tool.
Damian Sendler: People can work on improving their time management and organizational skills to increase conscientiousness. Setting SMART goals can give you a clear plan for pursuing your personal and professional goals. SMART goals are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Additionally, developing routines, breaking down tasks into smaller, manageable steps, and keeping a daily planner or to-do list can help people become more organized and disciplined.
Participating in social activities and honing communication skills can help people who want to increase their extraversion. Opportunities to meet new people and gain social confidence can be found by joining clubs, taking part in group activities, or going to social events. Active listening and assertiveness exercises can also help people improve their communication skills and boost their confidence.
People can concentrate on empathic development exercises and conflict resolution techniques to cultivate agreeableness. An individual can become more sensitive to the needs and feelings of others by engaging in active listening, working on perspective-taking, and enhancing their emotional intelligence. Finding common ground, acting with respect, and keeping lines of communication open are all conflict resolution techniques that can help to promote harmony and agreement.
How does the relationship between personality traits and life satisfaction change as a result of significant life events or transitions like marriage, becoming a parent, or changing careers? Exist any personality traits that are better adapted to navigating these changes in life?
Damian Jacob Sendler: The relationship between personality traits and life satisfaction can be significantly impacted by significant life events or transitions, such as marriage, becoming a parent, or changing careers, as these events frequently involve modifications to personal roles, responsibilities, and social networks. The capacity for adaptation of particular personality traits, which can then have an impact on overall life satisfaction, may be necessary for navigating these changes successfully.
For instance, qualities like agreeableness and emotional stability may be especially crucial when making the transition to marriage or parenthood. Individuals who are more agreeable are more likely to be sympathetic, encouraging, and skilled at resolving conflicts, which can help them uphold healthy relationships with their partners and kids. On the other hand, emotionally stable people are better able to handle the strain and difficulties brought on by new family roles and responsibilities, which results in a more fulfilling family life.
Traits like openness to experience, conscientiousness, and emotional stability may play a crucial role in determining life satisfaction in the context of career changes. Individuals who are open to experience are better able to adjust to new work settings, pick up new skills, and seize new opportunities, which facilitates career transitions.
Damian Sendler: Effective goal-setting, planning, and organization are all necessary for successfully managing work-related responsibilities. Conscientiousness can support these processes. When faced with the stress and setbacks of the workplace, emotional stability can provide resilience, allowing people to keep a positive attitude and persevere in their new careers.
Depending on the particular demands and challenges associated with each event or transition, certain personality traits may be more adaptable in navigating these life changes. For instance, extraversion may be especially helpful when going through social changes like moving to a new city or joining a new social group because extraverted people are more prone to make new friends and look for social support. As they encourage efficient coping and adjustment strategies, characteristics like conscientiousness and emotional stability, on the other hand, may be more adaptive in managing role transitions, such as changes in work or family responsibilities.
