Personality Change Influences Mortality in Older Men

Mroczek, Daniel K.; Spiro, Avron

doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2007.01907.x

Cited by 321Personality Traits and PsychologyPsychological Well-being and Life SatisfactionAging and Gerontology Research

Personality Change Influences Mortality in Older Men

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Mroczek, Daniel K., Spiro, Avron·2007·Psychological Science

DOI 10.1111/j.1467-9280.2007.01907.xPMC PMC2643121

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Abstract

Previous studies have indicated that high neuroticism is associated with early mortality. However, recent work suggests that people's level of neuroticism changes over long periods of time. We hypothesized that such changes in trait neuroticism affect mortality risk. Growth-curve parameters (levels and slopes) that quantified the trajectories of neuroticism change over 12 years were used to predict 18-year risk of mortality among 1,663 aging men. Proportional hazards models were used to estimate mortality risk from level and slope parameters, controlling for objective and subjective health, depression, and age. Although a parallel analysis of extraversion showed no significant effects, level and slope of neuroticism interacted in their effect on mortality. Men who had both a high average level of neuroticism and an increasing level of neuroticism over time had much lower survival than men without that combination. These findings suggest that it is not just the level of personality traits, but their direction of change, that is related to mortality.

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Changes in self and personality exert predictive power for important life outcomes such as mortality, substance abuse, or self-rated health.
“these changes exert predictive power for such important life outcomes as mortality (Mroczek & Spiro, 2007), substance abuse (Hampson, Tildesley, Andrews, Luckyx, & Mroczek, 2010) or self-rated health (Turiano, Pitzer, Armour, Karlamangla, Ryff, & Mroczek, 2012).”
From Low and decreasing self-esteem during adolescence predict adult depression two decades later. (2014) · cites this paper as Mroczek & Spiro, 2007
Naturalistic increases over time in Neuroticism have been linked to later all-cause mortality in a sample of older American men.
“Naturalistic increases over time in Neuroticism have been linked to later all-cause mortality in a sample of older American men [115].”
From Personality and Longevity: Knowns, Unknowns, and Implications for Public Health and Personalized Medicine (2011) · cites this paper as [115]

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Authors: Mroczek, D. K., & Spiro, A.
Affiliations: Purdue University West Lafayette (US)
Boston University (US)
ORCID: Mroczek, Daniel K.
Spiro, Avron
Venue: Psychological Science
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Published: 2007-05
Volume: 18
Issue: 5
Pages: 371-376
ISSN: 0956-7976 (ISSN-L)
1467-9280
DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9280.2007.01907.x
PMC: PMC2643121
OpenAlex: W2114966780
Cited by: 320
References: 29
Citations by year: 2026: 9 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 26 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 55 · 2019: 14 · 2018: 16 · 2017: 18 · 2016: 7 · 2015: 21 · 2014: 18 · 2013: 21 · 2012: 29
FWCI: 14.86
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: green
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Licence: journals.sagepub.com/page/policies/text-and-data-mining-license (tdm)
Locations: Psychological Science (publishedVersion)
PubMed (publishedVersion)
Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders: National Institute on Aging (R01 AG 18436, R01AG018436, P01AG020166)
Topics: Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Traits and Psychology
Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction
Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Aging and Gerontology Research
Keywords: neuroticism, personality change, mortality risk, older men, aging, growth curve analysis, extraversion, depression, self-rated health, objective health
MeSH terms: Adult, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Boston, Extraversion, Psychological, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, Neurotic Disorders, Personality, Personality Inventory, Risk Factors, Proportional Hazards Models, Survival Analysis

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Personality Change Influences Mortality in Older Men

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