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Personality Predictors of Midlife Generativity: A Longitudinal Study

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Abstract

The study aims to broaden the knowledge of the relationship between personality and generativity. The study tests personality predictors of generativity on the basis of longitudinal data and includes not only personality traits but also self-concept variables while examining five of the seven components of generativity within the McAdams and de St. Aubin model. The sample consists of 150 participants from two longitudinal studies (63 men, 87 women; mean age 54.82). Generativity (concern, belief in the species, commitment, action, and narration measured by different methods) was assessed in the last wave of the study, personality traits (measured by NEO-FFI), and self-concept variables (Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale, Self-Concept Clarity Scale) were assessed in previous two stages of the study (at the age of 50 and 40 of the participants). Regression analysis was used to identify unique relationships between variables. From the longitudinal point of view, extraversion is the main predictive factor of later generativity, and openness to experience also contributes to the prediction of generativity. Self-concept variables are not as strong predictors of generativity as personality traits. The only association between variables of self-concept and generativity was found between self-concept clarity and belief in the species.

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Funding

This work was supported by the Czech Science Foundation (Grant No. 15-22474S) and Czech Republic’s support for long-term strategic development of research organization (RVO: 68081740).

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  1. Institute of Psychology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Veveří 97, 602 00, Brno, Czech Republic

    Marek Blatný, Katarína Millová, Martin Jelínek & Marta Romaňáková

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  1. Marek Blatný
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  2. Katarína Millová
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Correspondence to Marek Blatný.

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The present study was approved by the Institutional Board of the Institute of Psychology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, and written consent was obtained from participants before commencing all stages of the longitudinal study during adulthood.

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Blatný, M., Millová, K., Jelínek, M. et al. Personality Predictors of Midlife Generativity: A Longitudinal Study. J Adult Dev 26, 219–231 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10804-018-9323-z

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