Personality - Page 9 of 32

3 Personality Traits Linked To A Stronger Immune System

People with these three personality traits tend to have stronger immune systems.

Personality traits and the immune system display some fascinating connections, research finds.

For example, contrary to conventional beliefs, outgoing and sociable individuals are found to exhibit the strongest immune responses.

This challenges the assumption that carefulness is synonymous with robust health.

Here are three ways research has found connections between personality and the immune system.

1. Introverts versus extroverts

Outgoing, sociable people have the strongest immune systems, a study finds.

Those who are the most careful, though, are more likely to have a weaker immune system response.

The research found no evidence, though, that a tendency towards negative emotions was associated with poor health.

2. Optimists versus pessimists

Optimists have healthier hearts than pessimists, a study of over 51,000 adults has found.

Optimists tend to have stronger immune systems, which may be part of the reason.

Professor Rosalba Hernandez, who led the study, said:

“Individuals with the highest levels of optimism have twice the odds of being in ideal cardiovascular health compared to their more pessimistic counterparts.
This association remains significant, even after adjusting for socio-demographic characteristics and poor mental health.”

Optimists also had healthier body mass indexes, were more physically active and less likely to smoke.

Researchers found that the more optimistic people were, the greater their overall physical health.

The most optimistic people were 76% more likely to have health scores that were in the ideal range.

3. Conscientiousness

Men with conscientious personality traits and those who are open to experience live longer, a study has found.

Consciousness has repeatedly been linked to a stronger immune system.

For women, those who are more agreeable and emotionally stable enjoy a longer life.

This means that for women the best personality traits for a long life are:

Extroversion
Optimism
Agreeableness
Emotional stability

Whereas for men, the best traits are:

Extroversion
Optimism
Conscientiousness
Openness to experience

Ask your friends

The kicker is that it’s your friends — not you — who are better at judging these personality traits from the outside…

…and consequently predicting how long you will live and even how strong your immune system might be.

Dr Joshua Jackson, the author of a study on the subject, said:

“You expect your friends to be inclined to see you in a positive manner, but they also are keen observers of the personality traits that could send you to an early grave.
[…]
Our study shows that people are able to observe and rate a friend’s personality accurately enough to predict early mortality decades down the road.
It suggests that people are able to see important characteristics related to health even when their friends were, for the most part, healthy and many years from death.”

2 Personality Traits That Protect Against Dementia (M)

Some people who have quite extensive damage to their brains from dementia can continue to function well, perhaps because of these personality traits.

People who score highly on the personality traits of extraversion and conscientiousness are less likely to be diagnosed with dementia, a study finds.

However, those who are neurotic are at an increased risk of a dementia diagnosis.

Experiencing more negative emotions was also linked by the research to a higher risk of dementia, while positive emotions lowered the risk.

The theory is that personality and the emotions make people more or less resilient against dementia by influencing behaviour.

Signs of pathology

The conclusions come from a review of 8 separate studies including over 44,000 people.

The study looked at markers of neurodegeneration in the brain, explained Dr Eileen Graham, study co-author:

“We’ve seen in previous research that if someone is higher in neuroticism, they have higher odds of being clinically diagnosed with dementia, whereas those higher in conscientiousness have lower odds of developing dementia.
However, those clinical diagnoses are typically based on assessments of cognition.
We wondered how personality traits might be related to clinically diagnosed dementia compared to dementia based on neuropathology markers assessed at autopsy.”

They found that while personality was linked to dementia risk, it was not explained by any signs of pathology in the brain.

Dr Emorie Beck, the study’s first author, said:

“This was the most surprising finding to us.
If personality is predictive of performance on cognitive tests but not pathology, what might be happening?”

Withstanding dementia

A probable explanation is that some personality traits help people withstand the onset of dementia better than others.

For example, conscientious people are more likely to take care of their health, including eating well.

Perhaps the higher sociability of extraverted people also helps protect them against dementia.

Some people who have quite extensive damage to their brains from dementia may continue to function well because of these personality traits.

It may be possible to target personality traits to reduce dementia risk, said Dr Graham:

“Neuroticism is related to dementia decline, and people with neuroticism are more prone to anxiousness, moodiness and worry whereas conscientious people are more likely to exercise, make and go to preventive health appointments and drink less.
So maybe that’s where an intervention might be useful to improve someone’s health behaviors for better health outcomes.”

No other factors, including gender, age or education explained the link between dementia risk and personality, said Dr Beck:

“We found almost no evidence for effects, except that conscientiousness’s protective effect increased with age.”

Anxiety is linked to the faster onset of Alzheimer’s disease.
Activities such as chess, crosswords and using a computer are some of the best for reducing the risk of dementia.
Increases in neuroticism may help to predict the onset of Alzheimer’s.

The study was published in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia (Beck et al., 2023).

2 Personality Traits That Are Linked To Dementia Risk

People high in one trait are less likely to develop mild cognitive impairment, which can be a precursor to dementia.

Self-disciplined and highly organised people are at a reduced risk of dementia.

These are both aspects of conscientiousness, one of the five major aspects of personality.

Conscientious people tend to be goal-directed and hard-working as well as responsible and organised.

People who are high in conscientiousness are less likely to develop mild cognitive impairment, which can be a precursor to dementia, researchers have found.

In contrast, being emotionally unstable is linked to an increased risk of dementia.

Known as neuroticism, the personality trait is linked to anxiety and depression as well as a greater experience of negative emotions.

Dr Tomiko Yoneda, the study’s first author, said:

“Personality traits reflect relatively enduring patterns of thinking and behaving, which may cumulatively affect engagement in healthy and unhealthy behaviors and thought patterns across the lifespan.
The accumulation of lifelong experiences may then contribute to susceptibility of particular diseases or disorders, such as mild cognitive impairment, or contribute to individual differences in the ability to withstand age-related neurological changes.”

The study involved almost 2,000 people enrolled in the Rush Memory and Aging Project, a long-term study tracking older adults in Illinois.

The results showed that higher conscientiousness was linked to a lower risk of dementia and higher neuroticism was linked to an increased risk of dementia.

Dr Yoneda explained:

“Scoring approximately six more points on a conscientiousness scale ranging 0 to 48 was associated with a 22% decreased risk of transitioning from normal cognitive functioning to mild cognitive impairment.
Additionally, scoring approximately seven more points on a neuroticism scale of 0 to 48 was associated with a 12% increased risk of transition.”

Eighty-year-olds high in conscientiousness were likely to live around two years longer without cognitive impairment.

They were also more likely to recover to normal cognition after receiving a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment.

High neuroticism, though, was linked to a year less living without cognitive impairment.

The study was published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (Yoneda et al., 2022).

What Being Realistic Or Pessimistic Reveals About Your Intelligence (M)

Human beings are mostly primed by evolution to be optimistic, but it is not always the best policy.

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This Personality Trait Is A Sign Of High Fluid Intelligence

Fluid intelligence refers to the raw speed at which the brain works.

A hunger for new, unconventional ideas is one of the strongest indicators of high IQ, research finds.

People with high IQs are intellectually curious and enjoy things like unusual activities, philosophical arguments and brain teasers.

This desire for new ideas is linked to an aspect of IQ called fluid intelligence.

Fluid intelligence refers to the speed at which the brain works.

It is like the raw power of an engine or the speed at which a computer can process information.

Fluid intelligence is contrasted with crystallised intelligence.

Crystallised intelligence is something like general knowledge: the information that people have learnt about the world over the years.

The conclusions come from a study of 2,658 employees working at 10 different companies in the UK.

They were all given tests of personality and intelligence.

The results showed that high fluid intelligence was linked to hunger for new ideas.

Like an interest in ideas, being willing to try new activities was also linked to intelligence, the authors write:

“Actions refers to willingness to try different activities, and to a preference for novelty and variety over familiarity and routine.
Fluid intelligence involves things like reaction times, quick thinking, reasoning, seeing relationships and approaching new problems.
This means that individuals high on [fluid intelligence] have an innate ability to cope more efficiently with novel experiences, and to deal with intellectually stimulating tasks such as brain teasers, which would thus make it rewarding for them to pursuit such activities.
Similarly, individuals low on [fluid intelligence] may in time grow to avoid such activities, due to their low ability to handle them, which would thus make them less rewarding.”

The study was published in the journal Learning and Individual Differences (Moutafi et al., 2006).

The 8 Best Personality Studies Of 2023

Exploring the personality traits of criminals, psychopaths, alexithymics, the anxious and the heroic.

These 8 psychology studies explore the traits of criminals, psychopaths, alexithymics, the anxious and the heroic.

Our own personalities are so familiar that we often do not notice how they influence what we think and do.

It is when interacting with someone whose traits are quite different that our own are thrown into contrast.

What makes criminals, psychopaths and the aggressive the way they are?

What about the successful, the worried, the heroically selfless and even people who feel nothing at all?

All these personality traits and more are explored in these 8 studies from 2023 on the psychology of personality.

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1.

The Personality Trait That Makes Some Criminals So Dangerous (M)

Why some violent criminals are more likely than others to offend again.

The Personality Trait Linked To Childhood Maltreatment (M)

One-in-four children worldwide is maltreated.

Posting More Selfies Is A Sign Of This Personality Trait (M)

Women’s natural assertiveness is revealed online.

These Parental Personality Traits Are Linked To Children’s Success (M)

There is little evidence that children ‘turn into’ their parents, but parental personalities are central.

How To Turn Negative Personality Traits To Advantage (M)

One way to deal with less attractive personality traits.

The Personality Trait Linked To Mood Swings (M)

Like most psychological concepts this personality trait exists on a continuum.

The Type Of Personality Traits Linked To Being Prejudiced (M)

These antagonistic personality traits are linked to prejudiced view against gay and trans people.

The Personality Trait That Marks Out Selfless Heroes (M)

Kidney donors may incur considerable expense and undergo painful surgery even without knowing the organ’s recipient. Why do they do it?

4 Personality Traits That Predict The Happiest Marriages

These personality traits are linked to a genetic variation that can be detected from a saliva sample.

People who are emotionally stable, empathetic and sociable have the happiest marriages, research finds.

Low levels of anxious attachment are also important to relationship satisfaction.

In contrast, people high in anxious attachment are ‘needy’ and worry that their partners do not care for them.

High levels of attachment anxiety are also linked to a fear of abandonment.

So, low levels of anxious attachment are preferable in a partner.

All these personality traits are linked to a genetic variation that can be detected from a saliva sample, new research has found.

The genetic variation affects a neurotransmitter called oxytocin.

Oxytocin — sometimes known as the ‘love hormone’ — is important in social bonding.

Researchers found that when one partner in a marriage had this genetic variation linked to oxytocin, both reported greater marital satisfaction and feelings of security.

The conclusions come from a study of 178 married couples aged 37 to 90.

All were asked about their marital satisfaction and had their genotype analysed from a saliva sample.

The results revealed that those with a genetic variation known as the ‘GG genotype’ had higher marital satisfaction.

Dr Joan Monin, the study’s first author, said:

“This study shows that how we feel in our close relationships is influenced by more than just our shared experiences with our partners over time.
In marriage, people are also influenced by their own and their partner’s genetic predispositions.”

The study was published in the journal PLOS ONE (Monin et al., 2019).

The Major Personality Trait Linked To Depression Risk

The conclusion comes from 21,000 Swedish twins who completed personality tests.

Negative emotionality is the strongest risk factor for depression among personality traits, research finds.

Negative emotionality is essentially being highly neurotic and involves finding it hard to deal with stress and experiencing a lot of negative emotions and mood swings.

People who are neurotic are more likely to experience negative emotions like fear, jealousy, guilt, worry and envy.

Some neurotic people can be quite shy and self-conscious.

The good news is that a depressive personality can be changed, contrary to what many people think.

The study’s authors write:

“…personality is at least somewhat malleable, especially in youth, but may forecast the onset of depression years in advance, which makes traits a potentially attractive means of identifying individuals at risk and informing selection of interventions.”

In addition, other aspects of personality can protect against the disadvantages of negative emotionality.

Being high in conscientiousness and an extravert together has a protective effect on people who are highly neurotic.

The conclusion comes from two studies — one looked at around 21,000 Swedish twins who completed personality tests.

They were followed up over 25 years later and asked about any experience of depression.

The results revealed that negative emotionality was key and that genetic factors were important in the development of depression.

Professor Kenneth S. Kendler, who led the study, said:

“The personality trait of neuroticism – perhaps better understood as “negative emotionality” is a strong risk factor of major depression.
Our study shows that this occurs largely because levels of neuroticism are an index of the genetic liability to depression.”

The second study reviewed many other studies on the link between personality and depression.

It also found that neuroticism or negative emotionality is strongly linked to depression.

The authors conclude that:

“Current evidence suggests that depression is linked to traits such as neuroticism/negative emotionality, extraversion/positive emotionality, and conscientiousness.
Moreover, personality characteristics appear to contribute to the onset and course of depression through a variety of pathways.”

Although links are sometimes found between depression and being introverted, as well as being low on conscientiousness, it is neuroticism that has the greatest link to depression.

The studies were was published in the journals Annual Review of Clinical Psychology and Archives of General Psychiatry (Klein et al., 2011; Kendler et al., 2006).

4 Signs That You Are An Extravert

The considerable advantages of being an extravert — especially in the work environment.

Extraverts typically seek out new experiences, prefer to take charge and are outgoing and talkative.

Introverts, meanwhile tend to be emotionally reserved, quiet and harder to get to know.

A review of the research finds that extraverts tend to enjoy a variety of advantages in the workplace.

Extraverts tend to have better social skills, they feel more positive emotions and are more motivated.

Positive emotions are important as happier people tend to work harder and are seen as better leaders.

Better social skills are linked to persuasion, which is also a key leadership skill.

On top of these advantages, extraverts tend to perform better at work.

This benefit probably springs from their personalities, said Dr Michael Wilmot, the study’s first author:

“If you’re motivated to achieve a goal at work, if you’re feeling positive and you’re good at dealing with people, you’re probably going to perform better on the job.
These advantages appear to have a cumulative effect over the span of one’s career.”

However, introverts should not be dismayed, as they have different skills which are sought after in certain occupations.

In addition, most people are ‘ambiverts’, with a mix of extraverted and introverted traits.

Dr Wilmot said:

“You might be more introverted, but if you’re intelligent, work hard and bring other things to the table, you’re probably going to do well.
At the same time, if you’re more extroverted, but lack the cognitive ability or work ethic, you’re probably not going to be as successful.”

The results come from a review of 91 separate studies conducted around the world on the link between extraversion and work-related factors.

The studies looked at things like work-life balance, motivation, performance and emotional well-being.

The results showed that extraversion was beneficial for 90 percent of the outcomes they examined.

The study was published in the Journal of Applied Psychology (Wilmot et al., 2019).

4 Personality Traits Linked To High IQ

These traits are all linked to having higher intelligence.

Having an active fantasy life, appreciating beauty, being emotionally sensitive and wide-ranging curiosity are linked to high IQ, research finds.

All of these are components of the major personality trait of ‘openness to experience’.

People who are open to experience are more interested in things that are complex, new and unconventional.

They are sensitive to their feelings, intellectually curious and seekers of variety.

Curiosity has an especially strong link to high IQ.

This may be because higher intelligence drives a ‘cognitive hunger’.

This encourages people to seek out new experiences to satiate the hunger.

The conclusions come from a study of 17,415 people from the UK.

They were given intelligence and personality tests and followed for 40 years.

The results showed the remarkable strength of the link between openness to experience and IQ.

The study’s authors explain their results:

“…childhood intelligence is indeed positively associated with adult trait Openness, even when it was assessed almost four decades earlier when participants were at 11 years.
Intelligence may influence the development of personality in that intelligent people develop habits to satisfy their curiosity and ‘‘cognitive hunger’’ which are an essential ingredient of Openness.”

The study’s authors think that it is high IQ that drives openness to experience:

“Parents of higher socioeconomic status may foster children’s trait Openness by providing better resources such as choosing good schools and cultural environment (theaters, museums, traveling abroad, etc.); intelligent children tend to use more mental activities (such as abstract ideas, learning new vocabularies, or math formulas) than those who are less intelligent; school settings (quality of teaching, good facilities) may enhance pupils to engage more in school learning.
All these three factors may influence educational and
occupational achievement, which in turn, may increase
the scores on Openness.”

The study was published in the Journal of Individual Differences (Furnham & Cheng, 2016).

Category: Personality