Summary: People who scored high for conscientiousness lived about two years longer without cognitive decline than those who scored lower. Lower neuroticism and higher extraversion were associated with a greater chance of returning to normal cognitive function after a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), suggesting these traits may offer some neuroprotective benefit.
Source: AP
Organized, disciplined people appear less likely to develop mild cognitive impairment as they age, while individuals with higher emotional instability are more likely to experience late-life cognitive decline, according to research published by the American Psychological Association.
The study, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, examined how three of the “Big Five” personality traits—conscientiousness, neuroticism and extraversion—relate to cognitive functioning in older adulthood.
“Personality traits reflect enduring patterns of thought and behavior that shape long-term engagement in healthy and unhealthy habits,” said lead author Tomiko Yoneda, Ph.D., of the University of Victoria. “Those cumulative patterns of experience can influence susceptibility to disorders such as mild cognitive impairment or affect resilience to age-related neurological change.”
Conscientious people tend to be responsible, organized, goal-oriented and self-disciplined. Individuals high in neuroticism typically show lower emotional stability and are prone to anxiety, depression, mood swings and self-doubt. Extraverts are energized by social interaction and tend to be outgoing, talkative and assertive.
To explore links between personality and cognitive outcomes, researchers analyzed data from 1,954 participants in the Rush Memory and Aging Project, a long-running study of older adults in the Chicago area and northeastern Illinois. Participants without dementia were recruited from retirement communities, church groups and subsidized senior housing beginning in 1997 and were followed with annual assessments of cognitive function.
Each participant completed a personality assessment and agreed to yearly cognitive testing. The analysis included individuals with at least two annual cognitive assessments or one assessment prior to death, enabling researchers to track transitions between normal cognition, MCI and dementia over time.
Findings showed that higher conscientiousness and lower neuroticism were significantly associated with a reduced risk of moving from normal cognition to MCI. Specifically, scoring roughly six points higher on a conscientiousness scale (0–48) corresponded to a 22% lower risk of transitioning from normal cognitive functioning to MCI. Conversely, scoring about seven points higher on a neuroticism scale (0–48) was linked to a 12% increased risk of that transition.
While extraversion was not directly associated with the ultimate development of MCI, participants higher in extraversion—alongside those higher in conscientiousness or lower in neuroticism—tended to remain cognitively healthy for a longer period.
For example, 80-year-old participants who scored high in conscientiousness were estimated to live nearly two years longer without cognitive impairment compared with those who scored low. High extraversion was associated with about one additional year of preserved cognitive function. In contrast, high neuroticism was linked to at least one fewer year of healthy cognitive functioning, underscoring the potential harm of chronic perceived stress and emotional instability.
The study also found that lower neuroticism and higher extraversion were associated with a greater likelihood of recovering to normal cognition after a prior MCI diagnosis. This suggests that certain personality traits may be protective even once decline has begun; for extraversion, the effect may reflect cognitive benefits linked to social engagement and interaction.
Personality traits in this study were not associated with overall life expectancy, indicating their influence may be specific to years lived with preserved cognition rather than total lifespan.
Yoneda emphasized limitations: the sample was predominantly White (87%) and female (74%) and participants were relatively well-educated (average nearly 15 years of education). These factors limit generalizability. She called for future research with more diverse populations and inclusion of the other two Big Five traits—agreeableness and openness—to better understand how personality affects cognitive trajectories and mortality in later life.
About this personality and cognition research news
Author: Press Office
Source: APA
Contact: Press Office – APA
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Original Research: Closed access. “Personality Traits, Cognitive States, and Mortality in Older Adulthood” by Tomiko Yoneda et al., Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
Abstract
Personality Traits, Cognitive States, and Mortality in Older Adulthood
Previous research links personality traits to mild cognitive impairment, dementia and mortality risk, but questions remain about when traits most strongly influence progression to dementia and how they affect years of cognitive health. This secondary analysis used data from the Rush Memory and Aging Project (N = 1,954; baseline mean age = 80 years; 74% female) across as many as 23 annual assessments.
Multistate survival models examined how conscientiousness, neuroticism and extraversion—measured by the NEO Five Factor Inventory—related to transitions between cognitive states and death. Multinomial regression estimated cognitive health span and total survival associated with standard-deviation differences in personality traits.
After adjusting for demographics, depressive symptoms and APOE ε4 status, personality traits showed the strongest associations with the transition from no cognitive impairment to MCI. Higher conscientiousness decreased the risk of moving from no impairment to MCI (HR = 0.78, 95% CI [0.72, 0.85]), while higher neuroticism increased that risk (HR = 1.12, 95% CI [1.04, 1.21]).
Although personality did not predict overall longevity, higher conscientiousness and extraversion and lower neuroticism were linked to more years of preserved cognitive health, particularly among female participants. These results clarify how personality traits simultaneously relate to cognitive transitions, cognitive health span and mortality in older adults.