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Changing personality traits: Some considerations from psychotherapy process-outcome research for intervention efforts on intentional personality change.

Type of publication Peer-reviewed
Publikationsform Original article (peer-reviewed)
Author Allemand Mathias, Flückiger Christoph,
Project Design development in randomized clinical trials - Psychological treatment in generalized anxiety
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Original article (peer-reviewed)

Journal Journal of Psychotherapy Integration
Volume (Issue) 27(4)
Page(s) 476 - 494
Title of proceedings Journal of Psychotherapy Integration
DOI 10.1037/int0000094

Open Access

URL https://www.zora.uzh.ch
Type of Open Access Repository (Green Open Access)

Abstract

There is a recent debate in the field of personality development whether and how personality traits can be modified or changed over short periods of time. Whereas traditional positions highlight the relative stability of personality traits in adulthood, recent research investigates intentional personality trait change, that is, desires and attempts to change personality traits. The main goal of the present article is to connect recent activities and intervention efforts in personality psychology with psychotherapy process-outcome research. More specifically, we argue that 4 empirically derived common change factors in psychotherapy research might provide some useful heuristic principles for personality change interventions in normal population that do not particularly suffer from personality disorders. We discuss the implications of the use of these principles to change personality traits and suggest some ideas for future research and practice.
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