Does personality change following spousal bereavement?

Personality has been shown to be a large predictor of intrapersonal adjustment during the bereavement transition. However, the degree to which bereaved spouses' personalities change is relatively unclear, and extant studies that have examined this phenomenon have provided mixed results. In the current study, personality change following spousal bereavement was examined in two samples (N = 9944 and N = 535). There was little evidence for differences in mean-level changes in personality between bereaved and control participants. However, rank-order stability was considerably lower among bereaved participants over time, suggesting that personality change occurs less systematically than previously thought. The current study provides additional information about the conditions under which personality changes and suggests exciting new avenues for future research.