STRESS AND ADJUSTMENT IN THE TRANSITION TO ADOLESCENCE - MODERATING EFFECTS OF NEUROTICISM AND EXTROVERSION

Research on adult populations (P.T. Costa and R. R. McCrae [1986] ''Fr om Catalog to Classification; Murray's Needs and the Five Factor Model ,'' Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol. 55, pp. 258-265 ) has indicated that neuroticism tends to exacerbate the dynamic link between stressful life events and maladjustment, whereas extroversion tends to ameliorate it. The present study examined the developmental r elevance of this model during the transition to adolescence. Questionn aire data regarding stressful life events, neuroticism, and extroversi on were provided by 51 males aged 10-11 and by 68 males aged 12-13, wi th parallel data on adjustment provided by homeroom teachers. As expec ted regression analyses revealed significant interactions between pers onality traits and life events in the prediction of adjustment among a dolescents, but not preadolescents. Further, significant but low corre lations appeared in both age groups between personality traits and the appearance of stressful events as well as adjustment problems Discuss ion focused on the dynamically differing processes linking personality , stress, and adjustment during the transition to adolescence.