Healthy Personality Patterns Predict Higher Well-Being but Limited Stability and Change

TY - JOUR

T1 - Healthy Personality Patterns Predict Higher Well-Being but Limited Stability and Change

AU - Hill, Taylor

AU - Plouffe, Rachel

N1 - © The Author(s) 2026

PY - 2026/8/4

Y1 - 2026/8/4

N2 - Healthy personality, characterised by higher extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness alongside lower neuroticism, has been associated with adaptive functioning and well-being. However, it remains unclear whether these associations reflect similarity to a healthy personality profile or overall elevation across favourable traits, and whether healthy personality is associated with levels, stability, or change in well-being. Across two studies, we compared additive trait elevation and profile similarity operationalisations of healthy personality. Study 1 (N = 489) examined cross-sectional associations with broad mental well-being. Both operationalisations were positively associated with well-being, although trait elevation showed a somewhat stronger association (β = .63) than profile similarity (β = .61), and profile similarity did not improve prediction beyond the Big Five traits. Study 2 (N = 350) used four waves of longitudinal data to examine evaluative well-being, within-person variability in life satisfaction, and change in psychological richness. Trait elevation was associated with higher life satisfaction and life worthwhileness across waves, with marginal R^2values of .256 and .219. Associations were slightly weaker for profile similarity. Neither operationalisation was reliably associated with variability in life satisfaction or change in psychological richness. Within these samples and measures, healthy personality was therefore more consistently associated with higher average levels of well-being than with stability or change over time.

AB - Healthy personality, characterised by higher extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness alongside lower neuroticism, has been associated with adaptive functioning and well-being. However, it remains unclear whether these associations reflect similarity to a healthy personality profile or overall elevation across favourable traits, and whether healthy personality is associated with levels, stability, or change in well-being. Across two studies, we compared additive trait elevation and profile similarity operationalisations of healthy personality. Study 1 (N = 489) examined cross-sectional associations with broad mental well-being. Both operationalisations were positively associated with well-being, although trait elevation showed a somewhat stronger association (β = .63) than profile similarity (β = .61), and profile similarity did not improve prediction beyond the Big Five traits. Study 2 (N = 350) used four waves of longitudinal data to examine evaluative well-being, within-person variability in life satisfaction, and change in psychological richness. Trait elevation was associated with higher life satisfaction and life worthwhileness across waves, with marginal R^2values of .256 and .219. Associations were slightly weaker for profile similarity. Neither operationalisation was reliably associated with variability in life satisfaction or change in psychological richness. Within these samples and measures, healthy personality was therefore more consistently associated with higher average levels of well-being than with stability or change over time.

KW - positive psychology

KW - healthy personality

KW - well-being

KW - psychological richness

U2 - 10.1007/s41042-026-00324-7

DO - 10.1007/s41042-026-00324-7

M3 - Article

SN - 2364-5040

VL - 11

JO - International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology

JF - International Journal of Applied Positive Psychology

M1 - 54

ER -