Personality development in old age relates to physical health and cognitive performance: Evidence from the Berlin Aging Study II

Mueller, Swantje; Wagner, Jenny; Drewelies, Johanna; Duezel, Sandra; Eibich, Peter; Specht, Jule; Demuth, Ilja; Steinhagen‐Thiessen, Elisabeth; Wagner, Gert G.; Gerstorf, Denis

doi:10.1016/j.jrp.2016.08.007

Cited by 62 publications

(75 citation statements)

References 84 publications

(135 reference statements)

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Mueller et al, 2016Mueller et al, , 2017Stephan et al, 2014;Sutin, Zonderman, Ferrucci, & Terracciano, 2013), but the interplay between health and personality development has yet to be studied in the context of retirement. Because retirement itself may help preserve or even improve a person's subjective health (Coe & Zamarro, 2011), associations between health change, retirement, and personality development may be complex.…”

Section: Subjective Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Personality Trait Development Across the Transition to Retirement

Schwaba¹,

Bleidorn²

2017

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In this study, we examined trajectories of Big Five personality development in the five years before and after retirement. Our sample was composed of 690 retirees (ages 51-81) and a propensity-score matched comparison group of 532 non-retirees drawn from a nationally representative longitudinal study of the Netherlands. Participants contributed data across a maximum of six measurement waves over a period of seven years. In the month after retirement, participants experienced sudden increases in openness and agreeableness followed by gradual declines in these traits over the next five years. Emotional stability increased before and after retirement. The transition to retirement was not associated with changes in conscientiousness or extraversion. Further, we found significant individual differences in development across the transition to retirement for each personality trait but could not identify any moderators that accounted for these individual differences. These results contribute to our understanding of personality development in older adulthood as well as the temporal dynamics of personality change in response to major life events. A vast number of theories have been put forth to explain how these life events affect lifespan personality development (e.g.

show abstract

Section: Subjective Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Personality Trait Development Across the Transition to Retirement

Schwaba¹,

Bleidorn²

2017

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…This finding adds to existing studies conducted over four to 10 years (Allen et al, 2015; Stephan et al, 2014). It is possible that the long-term functional limitations and depressive symptoms that result from a physically inactive lifestyle (Chang et al, 2016 ; Salvela et al, 2010, 2013) may be reflected in a lower tendency to experience positive emotions, be enthusiastic, and be agreeable (Hakulinen et al, 2015 ; Mueller et al, 2016). Furthermore, less physical activity may restrict social interactions, leading to lower propensity to be sociable and prosocially oriented.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Physical activity and personality development over twenty years: Evidence from three longitudinal samples

Stéphan¹,

Sutin

Luchetti

et al. 2018

Journal of Research in Personality

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A physically inactive lifestyle is associated with maladaptive patterns of personality development over relatively short follow-up periods. The present study extends existing research by examining whether this association persists over 20 years. Participants (total N = 8,723) were drawn from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study Graduates and Siblings samples and the Midlife in the United States Study. Controlling for demographic factors and disease burden, baseline physical inactivity was related to steeper declines in conscientiousness in all three samples and a meta-analysis (β=−.06). The meta-analysis further showed that lower physical activity was associated with declines in openness (β=−.05), extraversion (β=−.03), and agreeableness (β=−.03). These findings provide evidence that a physically inactive lifestyle is associated with long-term detrimental personality trajectories.

show abstract

“…Gerontological studies on aging have found that individuals differ substantially with respect to physical and cognitive declines. While the general trend is towards decreases in strength and perceptual speed (Mueller et al, 2016;Penninx, Deeg, van Eijk, Beekman, & Guralnik, 2001), gradually accumulating chronic disease (Sutin, Zonderman, Ferruci, & Terracciano, 2013), and cognitive decline (Salthouse, 2012), there is substantial variability in these aging processes. Individuals also differ in social changes that come with age.…”

Section: Lifespan Trends In Individual Differences In Personality Changementioning

confidence: 99%

“…retirement homes, independent living, living with family). If these physical, cognitive, and social changes impact personality trait change in old age (Mueller et al, 2016;Sutin et al, 2013;Löckenhoff et al, 2009;Specht et al, 2011), individual differences in physical, cognitive, and social development may spur individual differences in personality development during this life stage. Consistent with this notion, past research has found that the rank-order stability of personality decreases in old age (Briley & Tucker-Drob, 2014;Specht et al, 2011;Wortman et al, 2012).…”

Section: Individual Differences In Change 11mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Individual Differences in Personality Change Across the Adult Lifespan

Schwaba¹,

Bleidorn²

2017

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objective: A precise and comprehensive description of personality continuity and change across the lifespan is the bedrock upon which theories of personality development are built. Little research has quantified the degree to which individuals deviate from mean-level developmental trends. In this study, we addressed this gap by examining individual differences in personality trait change across the life span. Method: Data came from a nationally representative sample of 9,636 Dutch participants who provided Big Five self-reports at five assessment waves across 7 years. We divided our sample into fourteen age groups (ages 16-84 at initial measurement) and estimated latent growth curve models to describe individual differences in personality change across the study period for each trait and age group. Results: Across the adult lifespan, individual differences in personality change were small but significant until old age. For openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, and agreeableness, individual differences in change were most pronounced in emerging adulthood and decreased throughout midlife and old age. For emotional stability, individual differences in change were relatively consistent across the lifespan. Conclusions: These results inform theories of lifespan development and provide future directions for research on the causes and conditions of personality change.

show abstract

Personality development in old age relates to physical health and cognitive performance: Evidence from the Berlin Aging Study II

Cited by 62 publications

References 84 publications

Personality Trait Development Across the Transition to Retirement

Personality Trait Development Across the Transition to Retirement

Physical activity and personality development over twenty years: Evidence from three longitudinal samples

Individual Differences in Personality Change Across the Adult Lifespan

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About