Perfectionism and the Five-factor Personality Traits as Predictors of Mortality in Older Adults
Abstract
The major hypothesis of the study was that perfectionism as a personality trait, along with the five-factor personality traits and dispositional optimism, is strongly associated with mortality in late life. After baseline assessment of health and personality traits as predictors of mortality, 450 participants were followed over a period of 6.5 years. Consistent with our hypotheses, findings demonstrated that risk of death was significantly greater for high scorers in perfectionism and neuroticism, compared to low scorers at the time of base line. Conversely, risk of death was significantly lower for high scorers in conscientiousness, extraversion and optimism. Implications for health and longevity are discussed.
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Conscientiousness has been linked to lower all-cause mortality risk across a number of studies.
“This Big 5 dimension has been linked to lower all-cause mortality risk across a number of studies [54–57] (see also [58]).”
From Personality and Longevity: Knowns, Unknowns, and Implications for Public Health and Personalized Medicine (2011) · cites this paper as [56]
Higher level of conscientiousness is associated with greater longevity.
“In general, there is good evidence that higher level of conscientiousness and lower levels of hostility and Type D or “distressed” personality are associated with greater longevity.”
From Personality and Longevity: Knowns, Unknowns, and Implications for Public Health and Personalized Medicine (2011) · cites this paper as [56]
Agreeableness did not appear as a robust predictor of longevity in four other studies.
“Agreeableness did not appear as a robust predictor of longevity in four other studies [54–57].”
From Personality and Longevity: Knowns, Unknowns, and Implications for Public Health and Personalized Medicine (2011) · cites this paper as [56]
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- Authors
- Fry, P. S., & Debats, D. L.
- Affiliations
- University of Calgary (CA)
- Groningen, The Netherlands
- Corresponding author
- Fry, Prem S.
- Venue
- Journal of Health Psychology
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2009-04-21
- Volume
- 14
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 513-524
- ISSN
- 1359-1053 (ISSN-L)
- 1461-7277
- OpenAlex
- W1993861965
- Cited by
- 154
- References
- 46
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 9 · 2014: 7 · 2013: 11 · 2012: 11
- FWCI
- 12.03
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Health Psychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) (publishedVersion)
- University of Groningen research database (University of Groningen / Centre for Information Technology) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Traits and Psychology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Perfectionism, Procrastination, Anxiety Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Optimism, Hope, and Well-being
- Keywords
- perfectionism, Big Five personality traits, mortality, older adults, old age, neuroticism, conscientiousness, extraversion, openness to experience, dispositional optimism, longevity, health risks
- MeSH terms
- Activities of Daily Living, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Alberta, Chronic Disease, Defense Mechanisms, Disability Evaluation, Female, Humans, Male, Personality Inventory, Psychometrics, Statistics as Topic
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