The Longitudinal Interplay between Life Events and Socially Aversive Traits

Previous research has linked adult personality development to the occurrence of major life events, such as starting one’s first job. However, this research has rarely included socially aversive traits which are characterized by self-centered and socially antagonistic behavior. The current study examined the interplay between life events and four aversive traits—narcissistic admiration, narcissistic rivalry, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy in a sample of young adults aged 18 to 30. A total of N = 871 university students were assessed four times over two years (NT2 = 553, NT3 = 567, NT4 = 539). Latent change models were used to estimate (a) associations between baseline trait levels and the occurrence of these events at T3 (selection effects) and (b) associations between life events at T3 and subsequent changes in trait levels (socialization effects). While two of five preregistered selection hypotheses were confirmed, all four socialization hypotheses were rejected. Exploratory analyses revealed associations predominantly concerning psychopathy. For example, starting a new job, becoming the victim of a crime, and losing a family member were all associated with a relative increase in psychopathy. The results support the notion of selection and socialization effects for psychopathy, but are less clear for the other aversive traits.