According to research by Roberts and colleagues, how can we best describe mean-level change in extraversion over the lifespan?

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To begin, let's restate the question and options clearly: According to Roberts and colleagues, how can we best describe mean-level change in extraversion over the lifespan?

Option A: Extraversion increases over the lifespan. This is not fully accurate. Roberts and colleagues emphasize that mean-level change across extraversion facets is nuanced rather than a uniform increase; some facets may rise while others fall or stay stable, leading to a more complex overall pattern rather than a simple upward trend.

Option B: Extraversion decreases over the lifespan. Similarly, this statement is overly broad. While certain facets of extraversion may show decline with age, the research highlights that not all aspects behave the same way, and an overall decrease for the entire trait is an oversimplification.

Option C: Aspects of extraversion concerned with vitality increase over the life span. This option focuses on a specific facet (vitality). Roberts and colleagues typically distinguish facets of extraversion (e.g., sociability, assertiveness, excitement seeking) rather than labeling a universal vitality increase. It implies a directional change for a particular facet without acknowledging the broader facet pattern and competing trajectories among facets.

Option D: Aspects of extraversion concerned with dominance increase over the life span. This option highlights a specific facet—dominance (often linked to assertiveness or leadership-related tendencies)—and acknowledges that this component tends to rise with age according to the described research pattern. The emphasis on a facet-specific increase aligns with nuanced findings where certain facets can show growth while others do not, making this the best-fitting description among the provided choices.

Putting the pieces together, the key idea from Roberts and colleagues is that mean-level change in extraversion is not uniform across all aspects of the trait. Rather, particular facets can diverge in their trajectories across the lifespan, with dominance-facing aspects showing an upward trend over time, even if other facets may not follow the same path. This nuanced view contrasts with blanket statements about the entire extraversion trait moving in a single direction, which is why Options A, B, and C are misleading in their generalization.

PSYC20009_2025_SM2 Lecture 4 Quiz

According to research by Roberts and colleagues, how can we best describe mean-level change in extraversion over the lifespan?

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