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Published on: May 31, 2021
Personality change influences mortality in older men
Daniel K Mroczek1, Avron Spiro
1Department of Child Development and Family Studies, Center on Aging and the Life Course, Purdue University, IN 47907-2055, USA. dmroczek@purdue.edu
Psychological Science
|June 20, 2007
Summary
Personality traits like neuroticism can change over time, impacting mortality risk. An increasing level of neuroticism over years, combined with a high average level, significantly lowers survival rates in aging men.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Gerontology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- High neuroticism has been linked to increased mortality risk.
- Recent research indicates that personality traits, including neuroticism, can change over extended periods.
- The impact of these longitudinal changes in neuroticism on mortality remains underexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether changes in trait neuroticism over time influence the risk of mortality.
- To examine the relationship between trajectories of neuroticism and long-term survival in aging men.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal analysis of neuroticism trajectories using growth-curve modeling over 12 years.
- Prediction of 18-year mortality risk in a cohort of 1,663 aging men.
- Proportional hazards models were employed, controlling for health status, depression, and age.
Main Results:
- Neuroticism levels and their change over time interacted significantly in predicting mortality.
- Men with a high average level of neuroticism and an increasing trajectory of neuroticism exhibited substantially lower survival rates.
- Changes in extraversion levels did not show a significant association with mortality risk.
Conclusions:
- The direction of change in personality traits, not just their static level, is associated with mortality risk.
- Longitudinal changes in neuroticism are a critical factor in understanding mortality in aging populations.
- This study highlights the dynamic nature of personality and its health implications.
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