According to traditional theories, personality traits remain stable after early adulthood. However, a new study conducted by Daniele Romano, Professor in the Department of Psychology at Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca, challenges this view. The research shows that personality not only changes in certain dimensions but can also structurally reorganise as people age.
The study involved 376 retired adults over the age of 65, who completed two personality questionnaires and a wellbeing questionnaire. The results reveal that, compared to young adults, older adults tend to perceive themselves as more humble, extroverted and friendly, with greater emotional stability, while openness to experience remains unchanged.
These traits also play a key role in wellbeing: higher extroversion, agreeableness and openness to new experiences, combined with lower emotionality, are associated with a better quality of life in later years.
The most innovative finding concerns the structure of personality itself. Using an advanced analytical technique Exploratory Graph Analysis (EGA), the researchers observed that the traits of honesty–humility and agreeableness tend to merge, reflecting a greater focus on the positive aspects of character and social relationships.
“Our study shows that personality in later life is not static but dynamic,” explains Professor Daniele Romano. “The transformations we observed help us understand how older adults perceive themselves and how certain traits can support wellbeing during ageing. This offers a new perspective that challenges the idea of personality stability after early adulthood.”
These findings provide an important contribution to the psychology of ageing, opening up new pathways for the development of interventions and strategies aimed at promoting a more serene, resilient and fulfilling later life.
The results of the study will be presented at the event “How marginality influences individual differences”, taking place on 22 September 2025 at the University of Milano-Bicocca (Agorà Building U6, Aula Martini). The event will bring together scholars from several Italian universities for a discussion on personality and cognitive changes related to ageing and social marginality, offering the public the chance to engage directly with the researchers.