What if the personality trait that you inhibited made you more likely to develop a certain fatal disease? Could your personality really be a determining factor in your health risks later on? Josh Jackson of Washington University in St. Louis describes that his research correlates the certain personality trait that a person inhibits to an array of health risks. In this longitudinal study, researchers have been studying the same 7,000 individuals since they were 30, all the way up to 90 years old. In the beginning of the study, researchers asked the participants to fill out questionnaires indicating their personalities based on the Big Five personality traits, Openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. In addition, participants were asked to tell the researchers if they have any health conditions already (Rushlow). Researchers asked participants this information in order to determine whether a participant’s personality would really affect their health.
Four years after the study was conducted, researchers found that conscientiousness and openness were the traits that protected the individuals the most from health risks such as stroke, heart disease and high blood pressure. This shows that according to conscientiousness and openness, personality does predict health. However, it might not be that individuals who are hard-wired with high levels of conscientiousness or openness are less prone to these diseases, but they are also more likely take better care of themselves such as exercise and eat healthy. On the opposite scale, the personality trait, neuroticism proved over a lifetime of research that individuals who had a high score in this personality trait had often poorer health than the others. As a result of the naturally high-stressed state these individuals live in they are more likely to have a stroke and a weak immune system (Rushlow).
However, it is hard to conclude exactly whether personality affects one’s health, or if having a certain disease affects how one will act. This study has only been examined on only one group of people so far because longitudinal studies are time consuming. Until more research is done on the topic, conclusions cannot be accurately made.
Rushlow, Amy. “What Your Personality Reveals about Your Health.” Yahoo. N.p., 16 Oct. 2014. Web. 24
Oct. 2014. <https://www.yahoo.com/health/
what-your-personality-reveals-about-your-health-100138557702.html>.
https://www.yahoo.com/health/what-your-personality-reveals-about-your-health-100138557702.html
I don’t think the study ran was very well run. There are a lot of holes in the conclusion and the study does not take into effect the peoples outside factors such as family, occupation, and so forth. Another flaw is having the people write down their type of personality, many of them could have lied. I just do not see this specific study to be convincing on such a wild topic.
This is a pretty bold thing to state without a lot of evidence. it’s kind of scary because peoples personalities really evolve overtime. I think it’s pretty cool that they followed the people from such a young age to such an old age. That gives the study some more creditability in my eyes. What I don’t like about this study is that it claims a very large thing without a whole lot of evidence or confidence. Peoples personalities really change depending on what part of their life that they are in. Not too drastically but they definitely don’t say the same for someones entire life. If you told me my personality is more likely to get cancer I would do everything in my power to start acting a different way! I just think this study needs a little more evidence to back it up before I really believe all of it!
I agree with you. I really wish this study did examine more than one group of people. Also this study almost seems invalid due to the fact that there were only five types of personalities. Here is a site that explains that there are actually 16 types of personalities. http://www.personalitypage.com/high-level.html
It makes sense that certain personality traits may impact your lifestyle leading to possible health risks in the future. Not every shares the same traits that is why we are all unique. Some people who are pessimistic and live a negative life tend to be more depressed and stressed out. This may lead to smoking which is sure to have future health risks. Here is an article with further details, check it out
http://www.doctoroz.com/article/how-your-personality-traits-affect-your-health
I think that this idea of personality characteristics affecting potential diseases and body failures is very interesting and in some ways makes some sense. I can see how people who are more prone to high levels of stress for example could suffer from hypotension, sleep problems, etc that could easily lead to other detrimental health problems.