Volitional Personality Change in Adolescence: Understanding If, How, and Why Adolescents Want to Change Their Personality

Most adults want to change certain aspects of their personality, but little is known about whether adolescents want to and are capable of such intentional personality changes. In this study, 245 German adolescents (Mage = 15.71, 61.22% girls) participated in a guided self-reflection focused on socially oriented traits (extraversion, emotional stability, agreeableness). Participants identified the personality aspect they wanted to change most, reported their motivation and success in implementing changes over 14 daily diaries, and indicated trait changes across two months. Findings revealed that most adolescents wanted to become more confident, sociable, or composed. Change intentions primarily focused on school contexts and were driven by a desire to build social connections. Although we observed few significant personality changes, adolescents who reported higher levels of composure and confidence at first measurement felt more successful in their change efforts. This research lays the groundwork for understanding adolescent personality change intentions.