Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 20, 2026

Brain Morphology of Cannabis Users With or Without Psychosis: A Pilot MRI Study
Published on: August 18, 2020
Personality and Substance Use in Midlife: Conscientiousness as a Moderator and the Effects of Trait Change
Nicholas A Turiano1, Shawn D Whiteman, Sarah E Hampson
1Purdue University Department of Human Development & Family Studies, 1200 W. State Street, West Lafayette, IN.
Abstract:
Personality traits predict substance use in adolescence, but less is known about prospective substance use in middle age and beyond. Moreover, there is growing interest in how personality change and the multiplicative effects among personality traits relate to substance use. Participants included approximately 4,000 adults aged 25-74 who participated in two waves of the Midlife in the U.S. (MIDUS) study. Higher levels of neuroticism, extraversion, openness, and lower levels of conscientiousness and agreeableness predicted longitudinal substance use. Increases in neuroticism and openness predicted increased substance use while increases in conscientiousness and agreeableness predicted decreased substance use. Higher levels of conscientiousness moderated two of the other trait main effects. Personality, trait change, and interactions among traits reliably forecasted 10-year substance-use behaviors.
Related Concept Videos
Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques I
Conscientiousness
Conscientious individuals tend to be organized, responsible, and disciplined. They prioritize completing tasks and following structured routines,...
Traits, Mood, and Subjective Wellbeing
Neuroticism and Emotional...
Traits and States
Self-Presentation: Self-Monitoring and Self-Handicapping
Strategies of Self-Presentation III: Self-Monitoring
Cognitive Development During Adulthood
