The reciprocal link between the Big Five traits and self-esteem: Longitudinal associations within and between parents and their offspring

The Big Five traits and self-esteem are widely studied personality characteristics. However, little is known about their mutual effect on each other and their codevelopment in families. The present study used data from three longitudinal studies (N = 804 families involving both parents and one child) and latent triadic Actor-Partner Interdependence Models to address two questions. Are personality traits and self-esteem reciprocally related over time? And, do the personality traits (and self-esteem) of one family member have an effect on the self-esteem (and traits) of another family member? Meta-analyzed results revealed that personality traits and self-esteem were related reciprocally over time, most consistently emerging for self-esteem predicting subsequent decreases in neuroticism. Little evidence was found for codevelopment in family members.