Question

There is considerable debate about whether personality can change as we age or can be altered by certain medications (your text describes changes associated with paxil and zoloft). what’s your view of the stability of personality traits over time? what evidence supports your belief?

Answer 1

Personality traits are generally considered stable over time. The Big Five personality factors are relatively stable throughout one's life, with slight changes as people age. Certain medications, like Paxil and Zoloft, can potentially alter personality traits.

Step-by-step explanation:

Personality traits are generally considered to be stable over time, meaning that they tend to remain relatively consistent throughout a person's life. The Big Five personality factors - openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism - have been found to be relatively stable over the lifespan, with some slight changes as people age. For example, conscientiousness tends to increase with age, while neuroticism and extraversion may decrease slightly.

There is also evidence to suggest that certain medications can alter personality traits. For example, Paxil and Zoloft, which are both selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), have been found to potentially reduce neuroticism and anxiety in some individuals.