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Age Changes and Differences in Personality Traits and States of the Old and Very Old

^a German Centre for Research on Aging, University of Heidelberg, Germany and Gerontology Program, Iowa State University, Ames
^b Gerontology Center, University of Georgia, Athens

Peter Martin, Gerontology Program, Iowa State University, 1096 LeBaron Hall, Ames, IA 50011-1120. E-mail:pxmartin@iastate.edu

Decision Editor: Toni C. Antonucci, PhD

The purpose of this study was to examine stability and change in personality traits and states for 3 age groups: centenarians, octogenarians, and sexagenarians. One hundred seventy-nine older adults participated in the 2-wave study. Results concerning age-group differences indicated that centenarians scored higher in Suspiciousness but lower in Intelligence and Stress when compared with the other 2 age groups. Octogenarians were lower in the personality traits Intelligence, Dominance, and Conscientiousness when compared with sexagenarians. Octogenarians were lower in the personality state Arousal, but higher on Regression. Results from the longitudinal analyses for centenarians indicated lower scores for Sensitivity, but higher scores for Radicalism (both personality traits), as well as higher scores of Fatigue and Depression (personality states) at follow-up. For the younger 2 age groups, age changes included higher scores for Sensitivity and Suspiciousness (personality traits). Stability scores for traits and states were considerably lower for centenarians when compared with the younger age groups.

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