Personal adjustment to aging: Longitudinal prediction from neuroticism and extraversion

P. T. Costa, R. R. McCrae, A. H. Norris

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

91 Scopus citations

Abstract

Personal adjustment to aging as measured by scales from the Chicago Attitude Inventory (CAI) was examined longitudinally in a community-dwelling sample of 557 men aged 17 to 97. Concurrent and predictive relations between this age-appropriate measure of well-being and personality were examined by correlating the CAI variables with three factors from the Guilford-Zimmerman Temperament survey identified as neuroticism, extraversion, and 'thinking introversion'. As hypothesized, Neuroticism was related negatively and Extraversion was related positively to most concurrent measures of well-being in both younger and older subsamples. 'Thinking Introversion' was related only to positive attitudes toward religion. Predictive correlations between personality and subjective well-being over two-to-ten (M = 5.3) and ten-to-seventeen (M = 12.6) year intervals confirmed earlier research, and showed that enduring personality dispositions antedate and predict measures of personal adjustment to aging.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)78-85
Number of pages8
JournalJournals of Gerontology
Volume36
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 1981
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Aging

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