Is Healthy Neuroticism Associated with Longevity? A Coordinated Integrative Data Analysis
Nicholas A Turiano1, Eileen K Graham2, Sara J Weston3
1West Virginia University, Department of Psychology and the West Virginia Prevention Research Center, Morgantown, WV, USA.
Collabra. Psychology
|December 23, 2020
Summary
This study found that while conscientiousness protects against mortality, neuroticism’s effect on longevity is inconsistent. No evidence supported a protective interaction between high neuroticism and high conscientiousness for health outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Health Sciences
- Longevity Research
Background:
- Individual differences in personality traits, particularly the Big Five, are linked to health and longevity.
- Conscientiousness consistently predicts better health outcomes, but findings for neuroticism are mixed, showing varied associations with mortality risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether the interaction between neuroticism and conscientiousness predicts mortality.
- To test the hypothesis that high neuroticism is a risk factor for mortality only when conscientiousness is low, exploring the concept of "healthy neuroticism".
Main Methods:
- An integrative data analysis combining data from 12 independent cohort studies.
- A pre-registered analysis involving a large sample size (N = 44,702) to examine personality trait interactions and mortality prediction.
Main Results:
- Higher conscientiousness was consistently associated with a reduced hazard of dying.
- Neuroticism did not show a consistent predictive pattern for mortality across the studies.
- No statistical evidence was found for a significant interaction between neuroticism and conscientiousness in predicting mortality.
Conclusions:
- The findings do not support the hypothesis that a combination of high neuroticism and high conscientiousness is protective for longevity.
- Further research is needed to identify factors that may buffer the negative health effects of high neuroticism and to explore the "healthy neuroticism" construct.
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