When Jon was in his teens, he was moody and less conscientious in his studies. Now that he is in his thirties, he is more emotionally stable and more agreeable in his work and family life. Jon’s change illustrates

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The question asks about a change in Jon’s personality from adolescence to adulthood. 
Option a: structural brain development. While brain maturation occurs during development, the scenario emphasizes a broad personality shift in adulthood rather than a neurodevelopmental process, so this option doesn’t best capture the described change.
Option b: the maturity principle. This aligns with the idea that personality becomes more stable and agreeable as people pass into adulthood, matching Jon’s move from moodiness and lower conscientiousness in teens to greater emotional stability and agreeableness in his thirties.
Option c: genetic influence. Although genetics contribute to personality, the example focuses on changes across the lifespan, which is better explained by age-related stability and maturation rather than genetics alone.
Option d: the life story approach. This approach centers on how a person’s life narrative shapes identity, which is not specifically about the general age-related stabilization of traits over time as illustrated here.
In summary, the scenario illustrates a typical developmental trend where personality traits become more stable and agreeable with age, which is best described by the maturity principle.

PSY 200 (003) Fall 2025 Introduction to Psychology (TR, 1:30pm)

When Jon was in his teens, he was moody and less conscientious in his studies. Now that he is in his thirties, he is more emotionally stable and more agreeable in his work and family life. Jon’s change illustrates

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