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Longitudinal Relationships Between Personality Traits and Social Well-Being: A Two-Decade Study

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Abstract

This study examined the temporal relationships between social well-being and the Big Five personality traits (i.e., neuroticism, extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience), using a sample of 6452 American adults collected at 3 time points over 2 decades. The random-intercept cross-lagged panel model was used, which allows associations between variables to be examined at the between-person and within-person levels. At the between-person level, neuroticism was negatively associated and the other traits were positively associated with social well-being. At the within-person level, increases or decreases in trait levels did not predict subsequent increases or decreases in social well-being. However, increased (i.e., higher-than-usual) social well-being was associated with increased future levels of extraversion and conscientiousness. Thus, sustained improvements in social well-being may precede and predict increases in extraversion and conscientiousness.

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All data and materials are publicly available. More information can be found at https://www.midus.wisc.edu.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Keimyung University Research Grant of 2021.

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  1. Department of Psychology, Keimyung University, 1095 Dalgubeol Boulevard, Dalseo-Gu, Daegu, 42601, South Korea

    Mohsen Joshanloo

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This study presents a secondary analysis of de-identified and publicly available data provided by the Midlife Development in the U.S. (MIDUS) project. For more information on data collection and study procedures, see https://www.midus.wisc.edu.

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Joshanloo, M. Longitudinal Relationships Between Personality Traits and Social Well-Being: A Two-Decade Study. J Happiness Stud 23, 2969–2983 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-022-00534-1

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