The center focuses on short- and long-term quantitative longitudinal studies. Currently, we are researching the following issues: the role of perfectionism in adaptation to the requirements of daily life, identity development, personality determinants of parental burnout and regretting having children.
Research Areas
Currently, we focus on publication and dissemination of research results in the following areas:
Perfectionism
Perfectionism is a personality trait, which manifests as having unrealistic standards, strong self-criticism, and fear of failure.
The Center for Research on Personality Development conducts research on the development of different forms of perfectionism (e.g. adaptive and maladaptive perfectionism) as well as on the impact of perfectionism on adaptation to various social roles, such as a student, partner or a parent.
Identity
Identity is defined as a personality structure, which develops in the process of one’s identification with values, plans, and social roles. A well-developed and stable identity allows people make decisions, helps to cope with stress, and provides a buffer protecting individuals from psychological disorders. Developmental psychologists deem the identity development process to be the most important developmental task that people face over the course of their lifetimes.
The Centre for Research on Personality Development studies the development of identity in adolescents and adults.
Parental Burnout
Having children may lead to negative outcomes. One of the most serious difficulties experienced by parents includes parental burnout, i.e. a syndrome which manifests as a prolonged and extreme exhaustion caused by fulfilling the parental role. Parental burnout leads to self-isolation from one’s child/children, doubting one’s parenting competencies, and even regretting having children.
Researchers estimate that globally between 2 to 12 percent of parents experience strong parental burnout, which results from a disrupted balance between resources and burdens in the life of the parent. The Center for Research on Personality Development researches the role of personality traits in parental burnout.