Susanne Buecker

Personality change interventions (PCIs) are structured approaches that help people intentionally modify aspects of their personality in line with self‐endorsed goals. This article synthesizes theoretical and empirical advances in volitional personality change and sets a research agenda for PCIs. We review core models of self‐regulated personality change, summarize evidence for PCI effectiveness and putative mechanisms, and delineate methodological, ethical, and societal challenges. Priorities for future research include active‐control randomized trials, multi‐method outcome assessment (self, informant, behavioral), and long‐term follow‐ups. We argue for personalized, adaptive approaches and for broadening targets from trait levels to skills and behavioral flexibility. We also map the ethical landscape (e.g., potential harm, pressure to conform, possible exacerbation of social disparities), while outlining corresponding safeguards. The result is a framework that clarifies what can change, for whom, under which conditions, and with what downstream consequences. When designed responsibly, PCIs may foster favorable individual and collective outcomes, including adaptive functioning, well‐being, and resilience in a rapidly changing world.

Although personality traits are relatively stable compared to other constructs, comprehensive meta-analyses have shown that the mean levels and rank orders of personality traits change throughout the lifespan. In contrast, relatively little is known about whether and how the variance of personality traits develops with age. Examining changes in personality trait variance is, however, critical to contextualize knowledge on mean-level changes, to identify disruptive life phases, to evaluate changes in the predictive utility of personality traits, and to advance personality development theories. The present meta-analysis thus integrated research from 362 longitudinal studies (N_total = 398,124) to identify changes in personality trait variance across time and age. We found remarkable stability of personality variance for all traits, indicating that, at the population level, people neither get more different nor more alike across the lifespan. The only deviations from this pattern were variance increases in neuroticism during late childhood and early adolescence (5-14 years) and variance decreases in extraversion during middle and late adulthood (45-80 years). Notably, though, effect sizes differed substantially across studies and measures. Our results provide novel insights into the lifespan development of personality traits that can be used to advance theoretical frameworks and inform practical applications. Furthermore, by providing benchmark values for the comparison of effect size estimates of future studies (https://personalityresearch.shinyapps.io/VarianceChange/), we aim to facilitate more systematic and cumulative research on variance changes in psychological traits. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Personality interventions are a field of growing interest, because many people want to change aspects of their personality and personality changes may positively impact important life outcomes. Although initial research shows that personality interventions can be successful in eliciting lasting trait changes, the strategies, timing, and context of effective personality interventions remain unclear. A careful examination of how these characteristics predict intervention effectiveness would advance theoretical models of volitional personality change. We used intensive longitudinal data from the Changing How I Live Life Study, a smartphone intervention study designed to decrease participants' neuroticism that combines experience sampling methods and mobile sensing (N = 399; n_obs = 39,878; M_age = 25.48 years; 85% female; 47% living in Switzerland). Using these data, we examined the effects of different intervention strategies and their timing and situational context on the proximal outcomes of intervention adherence, intervention satisfaction, and changes in momentary positive affect. Intervention strategies that targeted the state level of neuroticism had more positive effects on people's momentary affect than habit-level strategies, providing novel insights into the mechanisms of successful personality change. Furthermore, effects differed depending on the timing and situational context of intervention prompts, highlighting possibilities of optimizing the timing of personality interventions. For example, people were more likely to adhere to intervention prompts in quieter environments or when at home. Together, these findings inform theoretical models of personality trait change and can be used to guide the development of effective and refined personality interventions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Interest in emotional variability as an interindividual difference is growing. Yet, basic features of the construct, such as whether it can be measured reliably and whether interindividual differences remain stable over time, have not yet been investigated extensively. To improve our understanding of the construct, we examined two longitudinal data sets, each comprising two waves of daily assessments, one with a 3-month and the other with a 16-month retest interval. Overcoming a key methodological limitation of past approaches, we used Bayesian censored location scale models as an alternative modeling approach that accounts for biases introduced by bounded rating scales. The results showed that the variability estimates from the models had reliabilities around rel = .64, which can be sufficient for group-level predictions. Additionally, the latent stability of r = .60 provides evidence for stable individual differences in emotional variability, suggesting that it is more than just a transient state. Our findings partially confirm previous studies, but also suggest that the reliability and stability of intraindividual emotional variability may have been underestimated because of biases due to censored distributions, something that has often been neglected in past work. We ran exploratory analyses to further examine the influence of external events and individual life transitions on emotional variability and found that emotional variability was potentially responsive to environmental changes due to the transition from studying to working life in one data set, and due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the second data set.

Loneliness is a significant concern among children and adolescents, yet its multidimensional nature has not been widely assessed in German-speaking populations. This study aimed to translate, adapt, and validate a multidimensional measure of loneliness for children and adolescents. The German LACA-R assesses loneliness related to peers and parents of 9–15-year-olds. A sample of 737 participants (54% girls) completed the German LACA-R, along with measures of overall loneliness, Big Five traits, self-esteem, and physical and mental health. Confirmatory factor analyses supported the two-factor structure of the German LACA-R, reflecting distinct peer- and parent-related loneliness dimensions. Both dimensions showed strong internal consistency. Moreover, the German LACA-R demonstrated configural measurement invariance in comparison to the original Dutch scale. Convergent and discriminant validity of the German LACA-R were demonstrated through moderate to strong associations with personality traits, overall loneliness, and health measures. In bivariate correlation analyses, peer-related loneliness showed stronger associations with mental health and extraversion than parent-related loneliness, while parent-related loneliness was more closely related to conscientiousness. Beyond the Big Five, peer- and parent-related loneliness explained additional variance in mental and physical health. The German LACA-R offers a reliable and valid tool for assessing peer- and parent-related loneliness in youths.

This preregistered meta-analytical review explored the construct validity and scope of the Quiet Ego (QE), a characteristic adaptation theorized to shape one's psychosocial functioning in ways that offer potential benefits to individual, societal, and environmental well-being. The literature search in PsycInfo , ERIC and PubMed , conducted in April 2025, encompassed published and unpublished original empirical data in English reporting standardized effect sizes for the bivariate relationship between the QE and various aspects of psychosocial functioning (cognitive, affective, motivational, and behavioral). In total, 273 zero-order Pearson correlations from 26 articles involving 13,391 participants were synthesized applying robust variance estimation. Results of visual and statistical analyses indicate minimal evidence for publication bias. The overall effect size was statistically significant and large in magnitude ( r ⁺ = 0.332, 95% CI [0.282, 0.380]). This suggests a substantial correlation between the QE and psychosocial qualities that support healthy functioning in a shared world (e.g., pro- vs. antisocial attitudes, adaptive vs. maladaptive coping, psychological well-being vs. distress). A moderating effect was found for culture, but not for age or gender. A framework of value orientation and actualization was applied to categorize psychosocial constructs based on an intersystemic understanding of human flourishing. Findings showed that the QE aligns with flourishing-promoting facets of desire, wisdom and well-being. Main limitations identified include limited variability in sample and study characteristics and a lack of data on moderator variables. Particularly, there is a need for further experimental research to causally validate whether the QE truly acts as a pathway to intersystemic human flourishing.

The feeling of being of little worth can trigger suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs). In this meta-analysis, we examined the association between self-esteem and STBs based on 114 studies and tested potential moderators of this association. We found moderate to strong negative associations between self-esteem and STBs (ideation: r = −.435, d = −0.805; behavior: r = −.258, d = −0.828; combination of thoughts and behaviors: r = −.405, d = −1.610). In this meta-analysis, we identified evidence gaps, including the need for more studies on the association between suicidal behavior and self-esteem, more research on the second half of life, and more longitudinal studies. Overall, this meta-analysis provides a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between self-esteem and STBs and contributes to the existing literature on suicide prevention.

Background: Exhaustion is a prevalent concern in the modern workforce, leading to significant personal and organizational drawbacks. Scientific professions, in particular, report high levels of exhaustion, making it imperative to explore its protective and risk factors. Aims: This study aims to investigate the relationships between exhaustion, passion for work, and physical activity (PA) among German-speaking scientists. Understanding these associations could offer insights into mitigating exhaustion in this high-risk group. Method: We utilized pearson correlation tests and multiple regression analyses to examine data from N = 769 German-speaking scientists. Results: Findings indicate that scientists with higher levels of harmonious passion experience significantly lower exhaustion levels. Enjoyment derived from PA was moderately negatively correlated with exhaustion, while the time spent on PA showed a weaker association. Furthermore, we identified a positive association between working overtime and exhaustion. Limitations: Our findings are limited by its cross-sectional design, which precludes causal inferences. Additionally, replication attempts with data from other countries than Germany are important, as academic working conditions vary between countries. Conclusion: This study highlights the vulnerability of scientists to exhaustion and underscores the protective role of harmonious passion and enjoyment of PA. These findings suggest that fostering harmonious passion for work and promoting enjoyable PA could be beneficial in mitigating exhaustion among scientists. The link between overtime work and exhaustion warrants further investigation, offering a potential avenue for future interventions aimed at reducing exhaustion in scientists.

To effectively tackle loneliness in youth, prevention and intervention strategies should be based on solid evidence regarding risk and protective factors in this age group. This systematic literature review identifies and narratively synthesizes longitudinal studies of risk and protective factors for loneliness in children and adolescents aged below 25 years. A systematic literature search was conducted in October 2023 using PsycINFO and MEDLINE, resulting in n = 398 articles, with n = 105 articles meeting the inclusion criteria. The examined factors included demographic (e.g., gender), socioeconomic (e.g., income sufficiency), social (e.g., peer acceptance), mental health (e.g., depression), physical health (e.g., disabilities), health behavior (e.g., sport participation), and psychological factors (e.g., shyness). Additionally, adverse childhood experiences (e.g., child maltreatment) and environmental factors (e.g., neighborhood characteristics) were investigated. Despite the wide range of potential risk and protective factors examined, relatively few studies provided strong evidence for a prospective association with loneliness. Risk factors that were consistently identified across multiple longitudinal studies included low peer acceptance and peer victimization, depression, social anxiety, internalizing symptoms, low self‐esteem, shyness, and neuroticism. Additional replication is required to evaluate factors that have shown significant associations with loneliness in only a limited number of longitudinal studies (e.g., aggression).