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Explaining premature mortality across fields of creative endeavor
1Department of Psychology, University of California at Davis 95616, USA. vjcassandro@ucdavis.edu
Journal of Personality
|November 5, 1998
Summary
Eminent creative writers, particularly versatile scientists, have shorter lifespans. Existing theories do not explain these differences, suggesting new models are needed.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Biomedical Sciences
Background:
- Studies indicate eminent creative writers have shorter lifespans than those in other fields.
- This phenomenon requires further investigation across diverse achievement domains.
Purpose of the Study:
- To replicate findings on lifespan differences across creative domains.
- To test existing explanations for these lifespan disparities.
- To propose a new model accounting for domain and versatility interactions.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of a dataset comprising 2102 eminent historical figures from seven disciplines.
- Testing of three extant lifespan hypotheses using a versatility indicator.
- Examination of the interaction between achievement domain and versatility.
Main Results:
- Replication of findings: eminent writers tend to die younger.
- Existing lifespan hypotheses were not supported when considering versatility.
- A significant lifespan decrease (2.7–8.6 years) was observed in versatile scientists compared to non-versatile ones.
Conclusions:
- Current models fail to explain lifespan differences across domains and versatility.
- A novel explanatory model is proposed, incorporating psychopathology, vocation choice, and personality traits.
- These factors may underlie the observed lifespan variations in eminent individuals.