Abstract
Perceived discrimination is common and a significant source of stress that may have implications for personality development across adulthood. In this study, we examined whether experiences with discrimination were associated with maladaptive changes in the 5 major dimensions of personality using 2 longitudinal samples that differed in age and follow-up interval. In the Health and Retirement Study, participants who perceived discrimination increased in their tendency to experience negative emotions (neuroticism), decreased in their tendency to be trusting (agreeableness), and decreased in their tendency to be organized and disciplined (conscientiousness). These associations replicated using participants from the Midlife in the United States study. The findings indicate that social pathways, in addition to biological and developmental tasks, are important for adult personality development.