TY - JOUR
T1 - Personality in Late Midlife
T2 - Associations With Demographic Factors and Cognitive Ability
AU - Mortensen, Erik Lykke
AU - Flensborg-Madsen, Trine
AU - Molbo, Drude
AU - Christensen, Ulla
AU - Osler, Merete
AU - Avlund, Kirsten
AU - Lund, Rikke
PY - 2014/2
Y1 - 2014/2
N2 - Objectives: To analyze associations in late midlife between sex, age, education and social class, and the Big Five personality traits; to analyze associations between personality traits and cognitive ability in late midlife; and to evaluate how these associations are influenced by demographic factors. Methods: The study sample comprised 5,397 late midlife participants from three cohorts who had completed the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) and a measure of cognitive ability. Results: Associations were demonstrated between the five NEO-FFI personality traits, and all included demographic factors. Cognitive ability and years of education correlated with several NEO-FFI personality traits in analyses adjusting for demographic variables. Cohort differences were observed for Extraversion and Openness. Discussion: Robust sex, educational, and social class differences in personality may contribute to late midlife social gradients in health and early aging. Demographic factors did not fully explain correlations between personality and cognitive ability or cohort differences in personality.
AB - Objectives: To analyze associations in late midlife between sex, age, education and social class, and the Big Five personality traits; to analyze associations between personality traits and cognitive ability in late midlife; and to evaluate how these associations are influenced by demographic factors. Methods: The study sample comprised 5,397 late midlife participants from three cohorts who had completed the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) and a measure of cognitive ability. Results: Associations were demonstrated between the five NEO-FFI personality traits, and all included demographic factors. Cognitive ability and years of education correlated with several NEO-FFI personality traits in analyses adjusting for demographic variables. Cohort differences were observed for Extraversion and Openness. Discussion: Robust sex, educational, and social class differences in personality may contribute to late midlife social gradients in health and early aging. Demographic factors did not fully explain correlations between personality and cognitive ability or cohort differences in personality.
U2 - 10.1177/0898264313519317
DO - 10.1177/0898264313519317
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 24584258
SN - 0898-2643
VL - 26
SP - 21
EP - 36
JO - Journal of Aging and Health
JF - Journal of Aging and Health
IS - 1
ER -