The ABCs of Personality Trait Change

Personality traits change in systematic ways across the lifespan and in response to interventions, raising questions about the mechanisms that drive these changes. Existing theories emphasize state-to-trait consolidation, whereby repeated momentary states accumulate into enduring trait differences, but they rarely specify which types of state processes are most relevant or how these processes vary across traits and individuals. Building on evidence that affective, behavioral, and cognitive (ABC) components can be distinguished at the state level, we propose an extended ABC consolidation model that specifies how changes in these components contribute to trait change. We outline four pathways of trait change that differ in whether change depends on specific ABC components, coordinated shifts across components, equifinal processes in which change in any one component is sufficient, or person-specific pathways. Based on these hypotheses, we provide a roadmap for future research aimed at advancing a more mechanistic understanding of personality trait change.