Stereotypes of Age Differences in Personality Traits: Universal and Accurate?

Wayne Chan; Robert R. McCrae; Filip De Fruyt; Lee Jussim; Corinna E. Löckenhoff; Marleen De Bolle; Paul T. Costa; Angelina R.  Sutin; Anu Realo; Jüri  Allik; Katsuharu  Nakazato; Yoshiko  Shimonaka; Martina  Hřebíčková; Sylvie  Kourilova; Michelle  Yik; Emília Ficková; Marina Brunner-Sciarra; Nora Leibovich de Figueora; Vanina  Schmidt; Chang-kyu  Ahn; Hyun-nie  Ahn; Maria E.  Aguilar-Vafaie; Jerzy  Siuta; Barbara  Szmigielska; Thomas R.  Cain; Jarret T.  Crawford; Khairul Anwar  Mastor; Jean-Pierre  Rolland; Florence  Nansubuga; Daniel R.  Miramontez; Veronica  Benet-Martínez; Jérôme  Rossier; Denis  Bratko; Iris  Marušić; Jamin  Halberstadt; Mami  Yamaguchi; Goran  Knežević; Thomas A.  Martin; Mirona Gheorghiu; Peter B.  Smith; Claduio  Barbaranelli; Lei  Wang; Jane  Shakespeare-Finch; Margarida P.  Lima; Waldemar  Klinkosz; Andrzej  Sekowski; Lidia  Alcalay; Franco  Simonetti; Tatyana V.  Avdeyeva; V. S.  Pramila; Antonio  Terracciano

Stereotypes of Age Differences in Personality Traits: Universal and Accurate?

Wayne Chan, Robert R. McCrae, Filip De Fruyt, Lee Jussim, Corinna E. Löckenhoff, Marleen De Bolle, Paul T. Costa, Angelina R. Sutin, Anu Realo, Jüri Allik, Katsuharu Nakazato, Yoshiko Shimonaka, Martina Hřebíčková , Sylvie Kourilova, Michelle Yik, Emília Ficková, Marina Brunner-Sciarra, Nora Leibovich de Figueora , Vanina Schmidt, Chang-kyu AhnHyun-nie Ahn, Maria E. Aguilar-Vafaie, Jerzy Siuta , Barbara Szmigielska, Thomas R. Cain, Jarret T. Crawford, Khairul Anwar Mastor, Jean-Pierre Rolland, Florence Nansubuga, Daniel R. Miramontez, Veronica Benet-Martínez, Jérôme Rossier, Denis Bratko, Iris Marušić, Jamin Halberstadt , Mami Yamaguchi, Goran Knežević, Thomas A. Martin, Mirona Gheorghiu, Peter B. Smith, Claduio Barbaranelli, Lei Wang, Jane Shakespeare-Finch, Margarida P. Lima, Waldemar Klinkosz , Andrzej Sekowski, Lidia Alcalay , Franco Simonetti, Tatyana V. Avdeyeva, V. S. Pramila, Antonio Terracciano

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

Age trajectories for personality traits are known to be similar across cultures. To address whether stereotypes of age groups reflect these age-related changes in personality, we asked participants in 26 countries (N = 3,323) to rate typical adolescents, adults, and old persons in their own country. Raters across nations tended to share similar beliefs about different age groups; adolescents were seen as impulsive, rebellious, undisciplined, preferring excitement and novelty, whereas old people were consistently considered lower on impulsivity, activity, antagonism, and Openness. These consensual age group stereotypes correlated strongly with published age differences on the five major dimensions of personality and most of 30 specific traits, using as criteria of accuracy both self-reports and observer ratings, different survey methodologies, and data from up to 50 nations. However, personal stereotypes were considerably less accurate, and consensual stereotypes tended to exaggerate differences across age groups.

Original language	English
Journal	Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
Publication status	Accepted - 2012

Cite this

Chan, W., McCrae, R. R., De Fruyt, F., Jussim, L., Löckenhoff, C. E., De Bolle, M., Costa, P. T., Sutin, A. R., Realo, A., Allik, J., Nakazato, K., Shimonaka, Y., Hřebíčková , M., Kourilova, S., Yik, M., Ficková, E., Brunner-Sciarra, M., Leibovich de Figueora , N., Schmidt, V., ... Terracciano, A. (Accepted/In press). Stereotypes of Age Differences in Personality Traits: Universal and Accurate? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

@article{d89c4288b3814ee484068696cf802031,

title = "Stereotypes of Age Differences in Personality Traits: Universal and Accurate?",

abstract = "Age trajectories for personality traits are known to be similar across cultures. To address whether stereotypes of age groups reflect these age-related changes in personality, we asked participants in 26 countries (N = 3,323) to rate typical adolescents, adults, and old persons in their own country. Raters across nations tended to share similar beliefs about different age groups; adolescents were seen as impulsive, rebellious, undisciplined, preferring excitement and novelty, whereas old people were consistently considered lower on impulsivity, activity, antagonism, and Openness. These consensual age group stereotypes correlated strongly with published age differences on the five major dimensions of personality and most of 30 specific traits, using as criteria of accuracy both self-reports and observer ratings, different survey methodologies, and data from up to 50 nations. However, personal stereotypes were considerably less accurate, and consensual stereotypes tended to exaggerate differences across age groups.",

author = "Wayne Chan and McCrae, {Robert R.} and {De Fruyt}, Filip and Lee Jussim and L{\"o}ckenhoff, {Corinna E.} and {De Bolle}, Marleen and Costa, {Paul T.} and Sutin, {Angelina R.} and Anu Realo and J{\"u}ri Allik and Katsuharu Nakazato and Yoshiko Shimonaka and Martina H{\v r}eb{\'i}{\v c}kov{\'a} and Sylvie Kourilova and Michelle Yik and Em{\'i}lia Fickov{\'a} and Marina Brunner-Sciarra and {Leibovich de Figueora}, Nora and Vanina Schmidt and Chang-kyu Ahn and Hyun-nie Ahn and Aguilar-Vafaie, {Maria E.} and Jerzy Siuta and Barbara Szmigielska and Cain, {Thomas R.} and Crawford, {Jarret T.} and Mastor, {Khairul Anwar} and Jean-Pierre Rolland and Florence Nansubuga and Miramontez, {Daniel R.} and Veronica Benet-Mart{\'i}nez and J{\'e}r{\^o}me Rossier and Denis Bratko and Iris Maru{\v s}i{\'c} and Jamin Halberstadt and Mami Yamaguchi and Goran Kne{\v z}evi{\'c} and Martin, {Thomas A.} and Mirona Gheorghiu and Smith, {Peter B.} and Claduio Barbaranelli and Lei Wang and Jane Shakespeare-Finch and Lima, {Margarida P.} and Waldemar Klinkosz and Andrzej Sekowski and Lidia Alcalay and Franco Simonetti and Avdeyeva, {Tatyana V.} and Pramila, {V. S.} and Antonio Terracciano",

year = "2012",

language = "English",

journal = "Journal of Personality and Social Psychology",

issn = "0022-3514",

publisher = "American Psychological Association",

}

Chan, W, McCrae, RR, De Fruyt, F, Jussim, L, Löckenhoff, CE, De Bolle, M, Costa, PT, Sutin, AR, Realo, A, Allik, J, Nakazato, K, Shimonaka, Y, Hřebíčková , M, Kourilova, S, Yik, M, Ficková, E, Brunner-Sciarra, M, Leibovich de Figueora , N, Schmidt, V, Ahn, C, Ahn, H, Aguilar-Vafaie, ME, Siuta , J, Szmigielska, B, Cain, TR, Crawford, JT, Mastor, KA, Rolland, J-P, Nansubuga, F, Miramontez, DR, Benet-Martínez, V, Rossier, J, Bratko, D, Marušić, I, Halberstadt , J, Yamaguchi, M, Knežević, G, Martin, TA, Gheorghiu, M, Smith, PB, Barbaranelli, C, Wang, L, Shakespeare-Finch, J, Lima, MP, Klinkosz , W, Sekowski, A, Alcalay , L, Simonetti, F, Avdeyeva, TV, Pramila, VS & Terracciano, A 2012, 'Stereotypes of Age Differences in Personality Traits: Universal and Accurate?', Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.