Continuity theory
The problem of continuity and change of personality has always been of extreme significance in psychology. Scholars have introduced numerous opinions concerning the nature of personality development. The continuity theory is one of the approaches to the understanding of the way people change with age. Thus, many scholars believed that actions that occurred in childhood and influenced the development of personality had a substantial impact on personality. The primary idea of the continuity theory is that people have the same inner drivers that predetermine their behaviors during the rest of their life. However, Walter Mischel introduced the new idea about the role of continuity and change in personality and challenged this theory.
The idea of continuity was supported by the so-called “five-factor model” of human personality. Thus, scholars defined that there were five broad emotional traits typical for all people. These five groups of emotional traits are known as the Big Five. The following groups of features were distinguished: openness, extraversion, conscientiousness, agreeableness, and neuroticism. The notion of continuity was explained in terms of these five characteristics. Walter Mischel did not share this opinion. He considered that personality was much more complex. The recognition of five personality traits is not relevant, according to the author.
“Continuity and Change in Personality” by Walter Mischel
Walter Mischel wrote the article entitled “Continuity and Change in Personality” in 1969 in American Psychologists. The central idea of the article is that human behavior varies drastically due to the environment and different situations. At the beginning of the article, the author agrees that there are cases when substantial consistency takes place. Thus, he states that cognitive constructions of people concerning their individuality and the surrounding world are more likely to remain stable. These ways of understanding the world can be formed quickly in childhood, but they will continue to be the same for the rest of life. According to Mischel (1969), the other aspect that proves the continuity refers to the cognitive style dimensions that derive from the peculiarities of problem-solving abilities. However, Mischel pays attention to the fact that there is controversy about the continuity of such cognitive traits as field dependence or IQ. Mischel (1969) writes that “correlations between measures of generalized intelligence and cognitive style such as Witkin’s field dependence raise the question of the degree to which the consistency of cognitive styles may be due to their associations with intellectual abilities” (p. 1014).
Mischel proceeds with his idea that not only intellectual traits but also behavioral features should be evaluated in this respect. Behaviors are significantly influenced by situations and circumstances. Consistency is not typical in such cases. The author presents the information about the research concerning the investigation of the consistency of the delay of gratification. The experiment included the observation of preschool children who were told that they would receive gratification but with delay. Children had to sit in the chair and wait, or they could not wait and take another, not so attractive gift. The results demonstrated a variety of behaviors. From the point of view of supporters of continuity theory, children displayed different interests because of their dissimilar emotional traits. Nevertheless, Mischel found out that such a factor as interest was also significant. Thus, depending on the situation and the level of interest, children showed dissimilar readiness to wait for gratification.
Finally, Mischel examines the issue of genotypes and their expression through phenotypes. He provides the example of a woman whose behavior varies. Once, she is hostile, but in the other case, she can be kind and warm. Scientists who support genotype-phenotype idea can say that the woman is kind (genotype) with aggression used as the defensive mechanism (phenotype). It is also possible to say that the woman is aggressive by her genotype, but the phenotype is presented by the illusion of kindness. Walter Mischel writes that there is one more possibility — a woman’s personality comprises all mentioned features. She is aggressive, hostile, kind, and warm at the same time. The demonstration of one of the traits depends on the external circumstances.
Conclusion
The article, under consideration, presents a profound approach to the problem. First, it should be mentioned that the author is not biased in his judgments. He accepts other ideas and acknowledges their value. Mischel employs the method of snowball sampling to present his views in a gradual and coherent manner. Besides, his conceptions have been tested later. Thus, Caspi and Roberts (2001) have investigated the development of personality during the lifespan and found out that continuity is more vivid in childhood. During adulthood, the continuity is not high due to the increased interactions in the environment. Briley and Tucker-Drob (2014), on the contrary, examined the continuity and concluded that the phenotypic stabilities increase with age. During childhood and before thirty years, the person’s continuity changes under the influence of both genetics and the environment. However, after the age of thirty or so, the stability of thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors remains the same.
These findings exemplify the need to investigate the phenomenon of continuity precisely. The differences in the continuity of various age groups demonstrate that, probably, there are different types of continuity and change of personality. These issues comprise the implications for researchers and practitioners.
References
Briley, D., & Tucker-Drob, E. (2014). Genetic and Environmental Continuity in Personality Development: A Meta-Analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 140(5), 1303-1331.
Caspi, A., & Roberts, B. (2001). Personality Development across the Life Course: The Argument for Change and Continuity. Psychological Inquiry, 12(2), 49-66.
Mischel, W. (1969). Continuity and Change in Personality. American Psychologists, 24(1), 1012-1018.