Personality predicts mortality risk: An integrative data analysis of 15 international longitudinal studies

Eileen K. Graham, Joshua P. Rutsohn, Nicholas A. Turiano, Rebecca Bendayan, Philip J. Batterham, Denis Gerstorf, Mindy J. Katz, Chandra A. Reynolds, Emily S. Sharp, Tomiko B. Yoneda, Emily D. Bastarache, Lorien G. Elleman, Elizabeth M. Zelinski, Boo Johansson, Diana Kuh, Lisa L. Barnes, David A. Bennett, Dorly J.H. Deeg, Richard B. Lipton, Nancy L. PedersenAndrea M. Piccinin, Avron Spiro, Graciela Muniz-Terrera, Sherry L. Willis, K. Warner Schaie, Carol Roan, Pamela Herd, Scott M. Hofer, Daniel K. Mroczek

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

114 Scopus citations

Abstract

This study examined the Big Five personality traits as predictors of mortality risk, and smoking as a mediator of that association. Replication was built into the fabric of our design: we used a Coordinated Analysis with 15 international datasets, representing 44,094 participants. We found that high neuroticism and low conscientiousness, extraversion, and agreeableness were consistent predictors of mortality across studies. Smoking had a small mediating effect for neuroticism. Country and baseline age explained variation in effects: studies with older baseline age showed a pattern of protective effects (HR < 1.00) for openness, and U.S. studies showed a pattern of protective effects for extraversion. This study demonstrated coordinated analysis as a powerful approach to enhance replicability and reproducibility, especially for aging-related longitudinal research.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)174-186
Number of pages13
JournalJournal of Research in Personality
Volume70
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2017

Keywords

  • Generalizability
  • Health behaviors
  • Mortality
  • Personality
  • Replicability

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Social Psychology
  • General Psychology

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