The current meta-analysis investigated the extent to which personality traits changed as a result of intervention, with the primary focus on clinical interventions. We identified 207 studies that had tracked changes in measures of personality traits during interventions, including true experiments and prepost change designs. Interventions were associated with marked changes in personality trait measures over an average time of 24 weeks (e.g., d = .37). Additional analyses showed that the increases replicated across experimental and nonexperimental designs, for nonclinical interventions, and persisted in longitudinal follow-ups of samples beyond the course of intervention. Emotional stability was the primary trait domain showing changes as a result of therapy, followed by extraversion. The type of therapy employed was not strongly associated with the amount of change in personality traits. Patients presenting with anxiety disorders changed the most, and patients being treated for substance use changed the least. The relevance of the results for theory and social policy are discussed.

A significant body of evidence has accumulated to show that personality traits predict meaningful life outcomes, such as economic well-being, relationship success, health, and longevity (see, e.g., Borghans, Duckworth, Heckman, & Ter Weel, 2008; Ozer & Benet-Martinez, 2006; Roberts, Kuncel, Shiner, Caspi, & Goldberg, 2007 for reviews). While important findings in their own right, the links between personality traits and important life outcomes invites the question of whether personality is fate. This question is really a question of whether personality traits change. If personality traits do change, then personality traits would not necessarily be...