Sensitization or inoculation: Investigating the effects of early adversity on the development of personality traits and stress experiences in adulthood

Cumulative evidence has been found for the concurrent and longitudinal associations between personality traits and stress experiences in adulthood. However, less is known about the etiology underlying these associations. The present study tested the effects of early adversity on the development of personality traits and stress experiences in adulthood, as well as their concurrent and longitudinal associations. Two samples of older adults from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and one sample of middle-aged adults from the Midlife in the United States Survey (MIDUS) were used. Across three studies, positive linear effects of early adversity were found on the level and changes in stress experiences in adulthood. The results also suggested significant linear effects of early adversity on the level of neuroticism across studies and the level of other personality traits in the middle-aged cohort. For the concurrent and longitudinal covariances between personality traits and stress experiences, some evidence was found for linear effects of early adversity in the middle-aged sample but not the older cohorts.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2018

Author dc:creator

• Luo, Jing

Contributors dc:contributor

• Roberts, Brent W.
• Briley, Daniel A.
• Derringer, Jaime
• Fraley, R. Chris
• Hankin, Benjamin

• Stress
• Personality

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2018 Jing Luo

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/101579

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F101579