Person Attributes and Psychological Pathways

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Person Attributes and Psychological Pathways

• Sheldon Cohen
• Carnegie Mellon University

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• From Roberts, Kuncel, Shiner, Caspi Goldberg
• The Comparative Predictive Validity of
  Personality Traits, SES and Cognitive Ability for
  Important Life Outcomes

Metaanalysis of 31 Studies that link personality
traits to mortality/longevity
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of Studies with Usable Data

• Conscientiousness 4
• Positive emotions/extraversion 4
• Negative emotions/neuroticism 12
• Hostility/disagreeableness 19

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SES and IQ Effect Sizes

• SES on mortality -.02 (CIs -.02,.-03)
• IQ on mortality .07 (CIs .03,.10)

R sq as measure of effect sizes was estimated
from information of relative risk values and
p-values.
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Average Effect Sizes (r sq) for Personality and
Mortality

• Conscientiousness -.09 (CIs -.05,-.12)
• Pos emotions/extra -.06 (CIs -.04,-.08)
• Neg emotions/neur .05 (CIs .02,.08)
• Hostility/disagree .04 (CIs .02,.06)

R sq as measure of effect sizes was estimated
from information of relative risk values and
p-values.
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Unfair Advantages Personality has Over More
Acute Measures

• Methodological It is there all of the time,
  hence you cannot miss optimal periods.
• Chronicity It is acting long enough to impact
  physiological systems

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What do we mean when we say Personality?Health?

• Typically, a specific personality factor (e.g.,
  hostility or optimism) derived from observation
  or from theory is associated with health outcomes
• Would a broader perspective on personality be
  helpful? How does each component of a broad
  conception of personality (e.g., Big 5) alter
  proposed mediators?

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What Level of Personality Should We Be Studying?

• Specific versus Broad Typology
• How do we choose specific?
• How do we choose broad?

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• Is the recent focus of positive aspect of
  personality important?
• Positive as apposed to negative affectivity
• Engagement and purpose in contrast to
  disengagement and withdrawal

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How could personality influence our health?

• Common genetic contributions
• ?Health behaviors
• Motivation (e.g., conscientiousness)
• Susceptibility to social pressures (e.g.,
  extraversion)
• ?Behavioral or Psychological
• Specific behaviors such as increased social
  interaction, hostility, avoidance of specific
  stimuli
• Adherence to medical regimens
• Emotions or cognitions that may influence
  relevant physiological systems or health
  practices
• (continued)

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• ? Physiology
• Direct--Usually thru common pathways (SNS
  HPA? more proximal causal pathways)
• Health behaviors? Physiology (e.g., smoking,
  alcohol abuse)
• Emotions? Physiology (e.g., smoking, alcohol
  abuse)

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More Time More People More Interactions More -
Interactions
SNS HPA
Emotional Quality and Regulation
Sociability
Health Practices
Immunity
Larger Networks More Diverse Networks More
Perceived Social Support Intimate Relationships
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Personality and the Life-Span

• Do traits have differential effects at different
  points in the life span?

• What traits that might influence adolescent
  health?
• What traits that might influence adult health?

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• What are the key psychological
• pathways to consider?

USUAL SUSPECTS

• Mastery/Control
• Purpose/Meaning
• Self-esteem
• Specific or nonspecific Affects
• Affective disorders

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• Do we need to develop new measurement tools?

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THE END
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Questions

• Specific traits versus broad typology?
• How do we choose specific, broad?
• Is the recent focus of positive aspect of
  personality important?
• Are positive attributes just the flip side of
  negative ones?
• Do traits have differential effects at different
  points in the life span?
• Traits that might influence adolescent health?
• Traits that might influence adult health?

continued
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• How could personality influence our health?
• Are there important pathways we are not
  investigating?
• What are the key psychological pathways to
  consider?
• Are there important pathways we are not
  investigating?