Recent Psychological Research: How Personality Can Change and Enhance Your Life

Can deep-seated personality traits change in just a few weeks?

This question is no longer merely theoretical; it is supported by recent psychological research and the personal experience of journalist Lori Clark, published on BBC, revealing that personality is not a predetermined outcome as previously thought.

* Personal Experience with Anxiety and Neuroticism

Clark recounts that months ago, she experienced a recurring itch on her hand, which reminded her of an article she had read about individuals with mysterious itching that leads to compulsive scratching, potentially resulting in severe health consequences.

She felt intense panic: "What if I were one of them?"

This anxiety was not new; she admitted to regularly experiencing episodes of neuroticism.

It was not surprising, according to an online personality test she took, that she scored higher than 85% of participants in neuroticism, a trait linked to excessive anxiety, rumination, and emotional instability.

Clark noted that neuroticism had been part of her life since adolescence but began to diminish over time due to her repeated efforts to reduce self-criticism, stop overanalyzing social interactions, and refrain from punishing herself for imagined mistakes.

* The Big Five Personality Traits

Psychologists agree that the "Big Five" model is the most scientifically reliable framework for explaining personality, dividing it into five main dimensions:

• Openness

• Conscientiousness

• Extraversion

• Agreeableness

• Neuroticism

Each dimension encompasses several secondary traits; for instance, neuroticism includes anxiety and emotional instability, while extraversion encompasses assertiveness and sociability.

* Personality is Not Fixed: A Scientific Reevaluation

Historically, it was believed that personality stabilized by the age of thirty, but this view has changed significantly, as explained by Brent Roberts, a psychology professor at the University of Illinois and a leading researcher in personality studies, who stated:

"Some of our colleagues in the 1980s believed that personality was definitively determined at a certain age, but research over the past three decades has overturned this perception."

Studies indicate that over time, individuals tend to become less neurotic and more conscientious and agreeable.

Researcher Miriam Stieger from the University of Lucerne in Switzerland explains that these changes are due to biological maturation and the accumulation of life experiences that lead individuals to take on adult responsibilities.

* Accelerating Change Through Conscious Choices

Most excitingly, recent research suggests that this natural change can be accelerated; targeted psychological interventions can result in changes in personality traits within just a few weeks, sometimes in a period of no more than six weeks.

Clark noted that while neuroticism was her most challenging trait, it was not the only one she wished to change. She explained that many people seek to be:

• More open

• More conscientious

• Less neurotic

In her case, she aimed to be less tense, less perfectionistic, and more agreeable, believing that a lack of trust in others fueled her neuroticism.

* Why Do We Want to Change Our Personalities?

Roberts points out that some individuals even wish to reduce their agreeableness, believing it is associated with weakness; however, research confirms that socially desirable changes in personality are linked to significant improvements in quality of life.

Specifically, reductions in neuroticism and increases in extraversion are associated with greater life satisfaction and happiness.

* Studies Confirming the Possibility of Change

In a significant study from 2019, led by psychologist Nathan Hudson from Southern Methodist University in Texas, college students were asked to select traits they wanted to change and then engage in weekly challenges aimed at modifying their thoughts and behaviors related to those traits.

After 15 weeks, results showed slight but statistically significant changes in:

• Extraversion

• Conscientiousness

• Neuroticism

However, the changes did not include traits related to openness and acceptance, and the more students committed to the challenges, the better their outcomes.

In 2021, researcher Miriam Stieger conducted a similar study supported by a smartphone app, resulting in positive changes in extraversion, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and agreeableness, with effects persisting even after three months of follow-up.

* Practical Steps to Change Personality

Studies have identified a set of simple activities that can help modify personality traits, including:

_ Reducing neuroticism

_ Daily meditation

_ Keeping a gratitude journal

_ Confronting negative thoughts or writing them down and analyzing associated emotions

_ Encouraging social openness

_ Attending events to meet new people

_ Greeting others

_ Talking openly with a trusted friend

_ Fostering kindness

_ Doing small favors for others

_ Replacing criticism with positive statements

_ Interpreting others' actions based on external factors rather than judging their personalities

_ Encouraging awareness and self-awareness

_ Paying bills promptly

_ Organizing and cleaning the workspace

_ Writing short- and long-term goals

_ Encouraging cultural openness

_ Reading news about other countries

_ Visiting museums or art exhibitions

_ Attending cultural or poetry events

* Conclusion

Personality is no longer a closed cage but a flexible and malleable entity.

While change requires awareness and commitment, research shows that small, consistent steps can lead to real transformations in just a few weeks; transformations that can directly impact life quality and psychological satisfaction.