Four types of change and self-other agreement on change in personality traits during college years: A multi-informant longitudinal study.

Research in personality trait change has largely relied on mean-level and rank-order change across the lifespan. The current research expanded the literature in several ways: analyzing four types of change and correlated change patterns, obtaining multi-informant reports, including lower-order personality traits, and collecting multiple assessments during a short yet important time for college-attending emerging adults (baseline N = 259, Mage  = 18.79). There was little evidence for mean-level change, yet participants showed significant individual differences such that rank-ordering and ipsative profiles were much more dynamic than mean score patterns. Informant-reports from close others demonstrated largely similar patterns: little to no mean-level change, significant increase in rank-ordering, and about half of participants reporting configural change mostly in elevation and scatter rather than in profile shapes. Interestingly, there was no correlated change between self and other-reports. This indicated that close others do not share individuals' perception of their own personality trait change, at least not in the demographic group studied. By examining individual-level, sample-level, and multi-informant perspectives, our thorough investigation provided useful benchmarks for future research to examine the source of variability in change trajectories.

A cultural evolutionary behavior genetics will need a more sophisticated conceptualization of cultural traits.

A framework that brings together cultural perspectives and behavior genetics has long been needed. To be successful, however, we need sophistication in the conceptualization of culture. Here, we highlight three imperatives to this end: the need for a clear definition of cultural traits, inclusion of the role of societal power, and recognizing the distinction between traits and characteristic adaptations.

We are not all the same: The importance of perceived difference in racial ideology and Afrocentricity for African American relationships.

A large body of existing research on African American relationships perpetuates a deficit model that assumes Eurocentric norms and emphasizes between-group differences (e.g., cross-racial comparisons with the majority group-European Americans). The current study examined within-group variability and the influence of culturally unique factors, Afrocentricity, racial ideology, and perceived discrepancy between self and partner on African American relationship processes. Data were collected from 137 self-identified African American adults in same-race, cross-gender relationships. Consistent with the literature on protective values of Afrocentricity, there was an association between reported relationship quality and high levels of one's own and perceived partner's Afrocentricity. Discrepancies between self and partner Afrocentricity were not associated with relationship processes, but higher perceived discrepancies across all four subscales of racial ideology were associated with lower relationship dedication. Higher perceived discrepancies on the humanist and assimilationist subscales were also related to higher levels of conflict. These findings have important clinical implications and demonstrate a need for further research into the nuances of individual factors and dyadic processes that are unique to African American couples.

Un gran número de investigaciones existentes sobre las relaciones afroestadounidenses perpetúa un modelo deficitario que supone normas eurocéntricas y enfatiza las diferencias entre grupos (p. ej.: las comparaciones interraciales con el grupo mayoritario: los estadounidenses de ascendencia europea). El presente estudio analizó la variabilidad intragrupal y la influencia de los factores culturalmente únicos, la afrocentricidad, la ideología racial y la discrepancia percibida entre el yo y el otro integrante de la pareja en los procesos relacionales afroestadounidenses. Se recolectaron datos de 137 adultos autoidentificados como afroestadounidenses que estaban en relaciones con personas de la misma raza y de diferente género. De acuerdo con las publicaciones sobre los valores protectores de la afrocentricidad, hubo una asociación entre la calidad de la relación informada y los niveles altos de la afrocentricidad propia y de la percibida por el otro integrante de la pareja. Las discrepancias entre la afrocentricidad propia y la del otro integrante de la pareja no estuvieron asociadas con los procesos relacionales, pero las discrepancias mayores percibidas entre las cuatro subescalas de la ideología racial estuvieron asociadas con una menor dedicación a la relación. Las discrepancias mayores percibidas en las subescalas humanista y asimilacionista también estuvieron relacionadas con niveles más altos de conflicto. Estos resultados tienen consecuencias clínicas importantes e indican una necesidad de investigar más profundamente los matices de los factores individuales y los procesos diádicos que son exclusivos de las parejas afroestadounidenses.