However, research has shown that while personality traits can change
over the
course of a
lifetime, much is predicated on factors such as
environment, the process
of identity development, and interactions with other people.
Rutter & Quinton (1977) found that factors existing in children's social
environment were linked to health - risk behaviors later in life, and were the first researchers to describe neglect, abuse, and other forms
of maltreatment (what would later be considered adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs) in terms
of their cumulative effect, range
of adversity, and wide - reaching impact on both mental and physical health
over the
course of an individual's
lifetime.