Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 28, 2026

Tactile Vibrating Toolkit and Driving Simulation Platform for Driving-Related Research
Published on: December 18, 2020
The big five personality factors as predictors of driving status in older adults
Emily A Gadbois1, Elizabeth Dugan2
1The University of Massachusetts Boston, USA emily.gadbois001@umb.edu.
Objective:
Although factors including cognitive and health status have been associated with driving cessation in older adults, the role of psychosocial variables is not well studied. Previous research on young adult drivers has suggested that personality may be related to driving behavior, but this study is among the first to explore the relationship between driving status and the Big Five Model of personality for older adults.
Method:
Data are from the Health and Retirement Study (2008 wave, n = 4,028). Descriptive, bivariate, and multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted.
Results:
Neuroticism (β = -0.4511, p < .001) and agreeableness (β = -0.5058, p < .001) were associated with decreased likelihood of driving; extraversion (β = 0.4588, p < .001), openness (β = 0.5903, p < .001), and conscientiousness (β = 0.4077, p < .001) were associated with increased likelihood of driving, although results were partially mediated by including known risk factors. People who limited their driving to nearby locations were the most different from those who no longer drove.
Discussion:
Personality adds a unique contribution to the prediction of late-life driving status.
Related Concept Videos
Five-Factor Theory of Personality
Openness reflects creativity, curiosity, and openness to new experiences. Individuals scoring high in openness are imaginative, have a wide range of interests, and are independent...
Factors Influencing Attraction VI: Personality Traits
Cattell's 16 Personality Factors
In contrast, source traits are the...
Self-Report Tests of Personality
Social Cognitive Perspective on Personality
Personality Theory by Eysenck and Eysenck
In the extroversion/introversion dimension, highly extroverted people are sociable, outgoing, and easily connect with others. In contrast,...

