Can Personality Type Change Over Time?

Personality Type and the Influence of Upbringing

One common perspective is that personality type is passed down from parents to children through upbringing and the transfer of family values. According to this view, the personality type is dynamic and can evolve over time. Let's delve into the reasoning behind this idea.

Environment as a Key Factor

In this framework, personality type develops as a result of social environment, particularly the influence of parents. Changes in circumstances—such as cultural shifts, new living conditions, or different social contexts—can reshape personal traits, leading to adaptations that may appear as a transformation of personality type.

The Role of Family and Cultural Values

Family values shape behavioral patterns early in life. However, as individuals leave the family unit and enter broader social circles, they encounter new influences. This can lead to a reevaluation of values and adjustments in behavior, creating the impression of a personality shift.

Psychological Plasticity

Traits formed through social learning are less stable than those rooted in biological or cognitive structures. New strategies can be adopted over time, modifying the visible structure of personality and enabling behavioral changes that mimic a shift in type.

Adapting to Long-Term Environmental Changes

Life-altering events, such as emigration, career changes, or societal upheavals, can push individuals to adapt their behavior and thinking patterns. This adaptation might be interpreted as a change in personality type.

A Dynamic Model of Personality

If personality is shaped solely by upbringing and cultural influence, it becomes a dynamic process, constantly evolving through learning and adaptation. In this context, changes in personality type are not exceptions but predictable outcomes.

The Cognitive Perspective: Personality Rooted in the Brain

The cognitive theory of personality posits that personality type is determined by brain structures, making significant changes over time highly improbable. Here are the key reasons why:

Anatomical Determinism

Brain structures such as the cortex, limbic system, and associative zones stabilize by the age of 20. For instance:

• The amygdala influences emotional response and reactivity.
• The prefrontal cortex governs strategic thinking.

These features create stable cognitive patterns, which define personality type and remain unchanged throughout adulthood.

The Role of Cognitive Functions

Core cognitive functions (e.g., logic, ethics, intuition, and sensation) are tied to specific brain structures. For example:

• Dominance of one hemisphere determines preference for intuitive or sensory processing.
• Hippocampal size correlates with strategic planning tendencies (e.g., Judging vs. Perceiving).

These parameters solidify early in life, leaving little room for change.

Plasticity vs. Stability

While the brain retains some plasticity, this adaptability is limited to existing structures. Behavioral modifications can occur, but fundamental personality traits remain intact.

Environmental Impact as Secondary

Social and cultural factors fine-tune personality expression but do not alter the underlying type. For example:

• A logical individual may be seen as rational in one culture but cold in another.

However, their core type (e.g., LII (INTj) or SLE (ESTp)) remains unchanged.

Physical Brain Damage and Personality Change

Rare cases of brain injury can lead to drastic personality changes. A notable example is Phineas Gage. In 1848, an iron rod pierced his skull, damaging his frontal lobes. Before the injury, Gage was responsible and calm; afterward, he became impulsive and erratic. This case demonstrates how physical trauma can alter personality, though such changes are exceptions rather than the rule.