Abstract

There have been two different viewpoints, -the Change theory and the Stability theory-in the personality development in the adulthood. The reason was that those two theories have been measuring two different aspects of the adult personality development processes respectively. This article aimed review the related literature of Change theory comprehensively, and to explore the developmental trends, variables related with changing processes and its paths. The results show that personality development in the adulthood is "a changing process of self" rather than a changing of predisposition or traits, and there is a identity crisis in the core of the change. The changing process is a sequential developmental process which is repeating transition and stability periodically. And especially the Transition period is an important one and is divided into three major subperiods, -the Early Adulthood Transition, the Transition in the 30's, and the Transition in the middle Age-. And this period also has specific developmental tasks and emotional characteristics. Even though the Transition in the middle Age is the most significant period in the changing of adult personality development processes, the specific studies have not been performed yet. In the changing processes, chronological age is more improtant than social age, and the identity status of the adolescent is an influential variable to it. In addition to it, there are gender-related differences in the changing process.