"Can I Choose to Change Who I Am"? The Role of Volitional Personality Change in Youth Mental Health
Name of applicant
Majse Lind
Title
Associate Professor
Institution
Aalborg University
Amount
DKK 6,499,416
Year
2025
Type of grant
Semper Ardens: Accelerate
What?
Based on contemporary theory on volitional personality change, I will identify which aspects of personality that are most changeable in youth. We test methods to foster such changes and evaluate their impact on mental health. The results may guide prevention strategies, empower young people to build stronger selves, and help reduce the societal burden of youth mental illness.
Why?
Personality has long been considered fixed, determining important life outcomes with little room for change. Yet contemporary research shows it is more malleable than once assumed, and deliberate efforts to reshape it can foster resilience, well-being, and mental health. Such potential for change may be especially vital as young people face today’s escalating mental health crisis.
How?
Young people will work to change desired aspects of their personalities (i.e., traits and narrative identity). Using AI chatbots and self-reflection through daily diaries, I support these efforts and track their effects. Ecological momentary assessment and longitudinal follow-ups allow us to study both short-term fluctuations and long-term personality change.