Andrea Mühlig-Versen

• Embedded in the general conceptual agenda of lifespan developmental psychology and its emphasis on the potential of individual development into old age, the central objective of the present study was to investigate whether participation in a volunteer training program can promote personality development in older age. The program "Erfahrungswissen für Initiativen" was developed by the German Federal Ministry of Family, Seniors, Women and Youth. The aim of the volunteer training program (VTP) was to encourage volunteers to develop a new role identity in the context of civic engagement by developing and initiating their own personal volunteering project. To investigate the impact of the VTP on personality development, participants of the VTP and an active control group of volunteers were assessed three times, before the VTP (T1), after the VTP (T2) and one year later as a follow-up assessment (T3). In addition, a second control group consisting of inactive, non-volunteers were recruited to validate the comparability of the active control group. The results showed that participation in the VTP increased personality adjustment by increasing life satisfaction and by decreasing negative affect and neuroticism from T1 to T2. Even though life satisfaction decreased again, negative affect and neuroticism remained decreased from T2 to T3. In accordance with the proposition that for personality growth to occur it takes a very special combination of personal and contextual factors, only participants of the VTP with high internal control beliefs increased in "personal growth" and "openness to experience" from T1 to T2. From T2 to T3 levels on "personal growth" remained elevated, while "openness to experience" increased even further. Taken together, the study presents an initial piece of evidence that by giving elderly the opportunity to participate in a meaningful way in society personality development is possible, even in older age.