Post‐Traumatic Growth as Positive Personality Change: Challenges, Opportunities and Recommendations

Jayawickreme, Eranda; Infurna, Frank J; Alajak, Kinan; Blackie, Laura E R; Chopik, William J; Chung, Joanne M; Dorfman, Anna; Fleeson, William; Forgeard, Marie J C; Frazier, Patricia; Furr, R Michael; Grossmann, Igor; Heller, Aaron; Laceulle, Odilia M; Lucas, Richard E; Luhmann, Maike; Luong, Gloria; Meijer, Laurien; Mclean, Kate C; Park, Crystal L; Roepke, Ann Marie; Al Sawaf, Zeina; Tennen, Howard; White, Rebecca M B; Zonneveld, Ren�e

Abstract

Objective
Posttraumatic growth typically refers to enduring positive psychological change experienced as a result of adversity, trauma, or highly challenging life circumstances. Critics have challenged insights from much of the prior research on this topic, pinpointing its significant methodological limitations. In response to these critiques, we propose that posttraumatic growth can be more accurately captured in terms of personality change—an approach that affords a more rigorous examination of the phenomenon.

Method
We outline a set of conceptual and methodological questions and considerations for future work on the topic of post‐traumatic growth.

Results
We provide a series of recommendations for researchers from across the disciplines of clinical/counseling, developmental, health, personality, and social psychology and beyond, who are interested in improving the quality of research examining resilience and growth in the context of adversity.

Conclusion
We are hopeful that these recommendations will pave the way for a more accurate understanding of the ubiquity, durability and causal processes underlying post‐traumatic growth.

Citation

Jayawickreme, E., Infurna, F. J., Alajak, K., Blackie, L. E. R., Chopik, W. J., Chung, J. M., Dorfman, A., Fleeson, W., Forgeard, M. J. C., Frazier, P., Furr, R. M., Grossmann, I., Heller, A., Laceulle, O. M., Lucas, R. E., Luhmann, M., Luong, G., Meijer, L., Mclean, K. C., Park, C. L., …Zonneveld, R. (2021). Post‐Traumatic Growth as Positive Personality Change: Challenges, Opportunities and Recommendations. Journal of Personality, 89(1), 145-165. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12591

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 26, 2020
• Online Publication Date: Sep 8, 2020
• Publication Date: 2021-02
• Deposit Date: Sep 15, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 9, 2022
• Journal: Journal of Personality
• Print ISSN: 0022-3506
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 89
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 145-165
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12591
• Keywords: posttraumatic growth; methodological approaches to studying adversity; personality change; open science; adversity; character change
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/4904405
• Publisher URL: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jopy.12591
• Additional Information: This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Jayawickreme, E., Infurna, F. J., Alajak, K., Blackie, L. E. R., Chopik, W. J., Chung, J. M., …Zonneveld, R. (2020). Post‐Traumatic Growth as Positive Personality Change: Challenges, Opportunities and Recommendations. Journal of Personality, https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12591, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12591. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions.