Personality Traits May Be Linked To Cognitive Impairment In Old Age

Researchers from the American Psychological Association have found that individuals who are more coordinated and self-disciplined are less inclined to develop cognitive impairment as they get older, while those who are pouty or emotionally vulnerable are more likely to encounter mental impairment later in life.

Specifically, researchers looked at how conscientiousness, neuroticism, and extraversion, three of the so-named “Big Five” character traits affect cognitive performance later down the line.

Personality characteristics reveal long-lasting ways of thinking and acting that may have long-term effects on one’s ability to participate in good or harmful habits and ways of thinking throughout one’s life. For example, moderate cognitive decline or individual disparities in capacity to endure age-related neurological alterations may be influenced by the accumulation of lifetime experiences.

People with high conscientiousness appear to be dependable, well-organized, diligent and focused on their goals. A person with an elevated level of neuroticism is more likely to experience mood fluctuations, anxiety, and sadness, as well as thoughts of self-doubt. People who are extroverts get their vitality from spending time with others and focusing their attention on others and the environment around them. As a group, they are known for being outgoing, extroverted, and chatty.

Conscientious or neurotic individuals had a lower risk of developing moderate cognitive impairment throughout the course of the trial than those who scored in the middle.

Study subjects who scored the highest on extraversion, as well as those who scored highly on conscientiousness and low overall neuroticism, were shown to be more likely to have normal cognitive performance than others who did poorly on extraversion.

As an analogy, 80-year-old individuals who’ve been strong in conscientiousness were expected to live approximately two more years without mental deterioration than those who remained poor in conscientiousness. None of the character qualities were linked to the overall average lifespan.