Social Psychological and Personality Science
May 2014; 5 (4)
http://spp.sagepub.com/content/5/4.toc

Personality Resilience Following a Natural Disaster
Petar Milojev1, Danny Osborne1, Chris G. Sibley1
1School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
Abstract
We examine changes in the Big Six personality markers (Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Emotional Stability, Openness to Experience, and Honesty–Humility) before and after the 2010/2011 Christchurch earthquakes in a longitudinal study of New Zealand residents (N = 3,914). Results show remarkable stability in personality, save for one exception: Those who were affected by the earthquakes evidenced a slight decrease in Emotional Stability over the 2-year test–retest period relative to those unaffected by the earthquakes. These findings indicate that most aspects of personality are resilient following a major natural disaster. The slight decrease in Emotional Stability, however, points to a possible increase in vulnerability to depression and anxiety for those affected by the earthquakes. Our study provides important insights into a central question about stability and change in personality following major life events.