Personality stability and change over a 30-year period--middle age to old age.

A group of physically healthy and emotionally stable men were periodically evaluated over a 30-year period from middle age (M age = 49) to old age (M age of surviving group = 77), Complete Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory test results were obtained for 71 men in this group over four testing periods spanning the 30-year interval. The results indicated considerable stability in the group profile configurations and individual scale correlations over the four evaluation periods. The relative increase in score with age on Scale 1, Scale 2, and Scale 3 is consistent with previous findings with aged populations. The results of the present investigation suggest that the increase in mean score on the Depression scale may reflect realistic bodily concerns and the presence of actual physical illness. Overall, this group manifested personality strengths in middle age and continued to function reasonably well in old age.