Skip to main content
Key Specialties
Cardiology Diabetology Endocrinology Gastroenterology Geriatrics and Gerontology Gynecology and Obstetrics Hematology Infectious Disease Internal Medicine Nephrology Neurology Oncology Pediatrics Respiratory Medicine Rheumatology Surgery
Congress Coverage
2024 ACC Congress 2023 ESMO Congress 2023 EASD Congress 2023 ERS Congress 2023 ESC Congress
Clinical Collections
Advances in Alzheimer’s

Keynote webinar | Spotlight on medication adherence

LIVE: Thursday 27th June 2024, 18:00-19:30 (CEST)
Join our expert panel to discover why you need to understand the drivers of non-adherence in your patients, and how you can optimize medication adherence in your clinics to drastically improve patient outcomes.
ADVANCED SEARCH
Log in
Top
Annals of Behavioral Medicine
Published in: Annals of Behavioral Medicine 2/2009

Open Access 01-04-2009 | Original Article

Conscientiousness, Career Success, and Longevity: A Lifespan Analysis

Authors: Margaret L. Kern, M.A., Howard S. Friedman, Ph.D., Leslie R. Martin, Ph.D., Chandra A. Reynolds, Ph.D., Gloria Luong, B.A.

Published in: Annals of Behavioral Medicine | Issue 2/2009

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

Markers of executive functioning, such as prudent planning for the future and impulse control, are related to conscientiousness and may be central to both occupational success and health outcomes.

Purpose

The aim of the study was to examine relations among conscientiousness, career success, and mortality risk across a 65-year period.

Methods

Using data derived from 693 male participants in the Terman Life Cycle Study, we examined associations among childhood personality, midlife objective career success, and lifelong mortality risk through 2006.

Results

Conscientiousness and career success each predicted lower mortality risk (N = 693, relative hazard (rh) = 0.82 [95% confidence interval = 0.74, 0.91] and rh = 0.80 [0.71, 0.91], respectively), with both shared and unique variance. Importantly, childhood personality moderated the success–longevity link; conscientiousness was most relevant for least successful individuals.

Conclusion

Conscientiousness and career success predicted longevity, but not in a straightforward manner. Findings highlight the importance of lifespan processes.
Literature
1.
Kern ML, Friedman HS. Do conscientious individuals live longer? A quantitative review. Health Psychol. 2008; 27: 505–512.PubMedCrossRef
2.
Viswesvaren C, Schmidt FL, Ones DS. Is there a general factor in ratings of job performance? A meta-analytic framework for disentangling substantive and error influences. J Appl Psychol. 2005; 90: 108–131.CrossRef
3.
Day R, Allen TD. The relationship between career motivation and self-efficacy with protégé career success. J Vocat Behav. 2004; 64: 72–91.CrossRef
4.
Eby L, Butts M, Lockwood A. Predictors of success in the era of the boundaryless career. J Organ Behav. 2003; 24: 689–708.CrossRef
5.
Greenhaus JH, Parasuraman S, Wormley WM. Effects of race on organizational experiences, job performance evaluations, and career outcomes. Acad Manage J. 1990; 33: 64–86.CrossRef
6.
Jex SM, Adams GA, Elacqua TC, Bachrach DG. Type A as a moderator of stressors and job complexity: A comparison of achievement strivings and impatience-irritability. J Soc Psychol. 2002; 32: 977–996.
7.
Parasuraman S, Purohit YS, Godshalk VM. Work and family variables, entrepreneurial career success, and psychological well-being. J Vocat Behav. 1996; 48: 275–300.CrossRef
8.
Toppinen-Tanner S, Kalimo R, Mutanen P. The process of burnout in white-collar and blue-collar jobs: Eight-year prospective study of exhaustion. J Organ Behav. 2002; 23: 555–570.CrossRef
9.
Wickrama K, Conger RD, Lorenz FO, Matthews L. Role identity, role satisfaction, and perceived physical health. Soc Psychol Q. 1995; 58: 270–283.CrossRef
10.
Baker SF, Ireland JL. The link between dyslexic traits, executive functioning, impulsivity, and social self-esteem among an offender and non-offender sample. Int J Law Psychiatry. 2007; 30: 492–503.PubMedCrossRef
11.
Mattson SN, Goodman AM, Caine C, Delis DC, Riley MP. Executive functioning in children with heavy prenatal alcohol exposure. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 1999; 23: 1808–1815.PubMed
12.
Welsh MC, Pennington BF, Groisser DB. A normative-developmental study of executive function: A window on prefrontal function in children. Dev Neuropsychol. 1991; 7: 131–149.CrossRef
13.
Costa PT, McCrae RR. The Revised NEO Personality Inventory Professional Manual. Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources; 1992.
14.
Evans DE, Rothbart MK. Developing a model for adult temperament. J Res Pers. 2007; 41: 868–888.CrossRef
15.
Rothbart MK. Temperament, development, and personality. Curr Dir Psychol Sci. 2007; 17: 207–212.CrossRef
16.
Rothbart MK, Ahadi SA, Evans DE. Temperament and personality: Origins and outcomes. J Pers Soc Psychol. 2000; 78: 122–135.PubMedCrossRef
17.
Rueda MR, Posner MI, Rothbart MK. The development of executive attention: Contributions to the emergence of self-regulation. Dev Neuropsychol. 2005; 28: 573–594.PubMedCrossRef
18.
Williams PG, Thayer JF. Executive function and health: Introduction to the special series. Ann Behav Med. 2009.
19.
Ardila A, Pineda D, Rosselli M. Correlation between intelligence test scores and executive function measures. Arch Clin Neuropsychol. 2000; 15: 31–36.PubMed
20.
Taylor SF, Welsh RC, Wager TD, Phan KL, Fitzgerald KD, Gehring WJ. A functional neuroimaging study of motivation and executive function. NeuroImage. 2003; 21: 1045–1054.CrossRef
21.
Gelissen J, de Graaf PM. Personality, social background, and occupational career success. Soc Sci Res. 2006; 35: 702–726.CrossRef
22.
Ng TWH, Eby LT, Sorensen KL, Feldman DC. Predictors of objective and subjective career success: A meta-analysis. Personnel Dev. 2005; 58: 367–408.CrossRef
23.
Turban DB, Doughtery TW. Role of protégé personality in receipt of mentoring and career success. Acad Manage J. 1994; 37: 688–702.CrossRef
24.
Schmidt FL, Hunter JE. Development of a causal model of processes determining job performance. Curr Dir Psychol Sci. 1992; 1: 89–92.CrossRef
25.
Aronsson G, Klas G, Dallner M. Work environment and health in different types of temporary jobs. Eur J Work Organ Psychol. 2002; 11: 151–175.CrossRef
26.
Barrick MR, Mount MK. The Big Five personality dimensions and job performance: A meta analysis. Pers Psychol. 1991; 44: 1–26.CrossRef
27.
Farmer HS. Model of career and achievement motivation for women and men. J Couns Psychol. 1985; 32: 363–390.CrossRef
28.
Judge TA, Erez A, Bono JE. The power of being positive: The relation between positive self-concept and job performance. Hum Perform. 1998; 11: 167–187.CrossRef
29.
London M. Toward a theory of career motivation. Acad Manage Rev. 1983; 8: 620–630.CrossRef
30.
Ozer DJ, Benet-Martinez V. Personality and the prediction of consequential outcomes. Ann Rev Psychol. 2006; 57: 401–421.CrossRef
31.
Ree MJ, Earles JA. Intelligence is the best predictor of job performance. Curr Dir Psychol Sci. 1992; 1: 86–89.CrossRef
32.
Roberts BW, Kuncel NR, Shiner R, Caspi A, Goldberg LR. The power of personality: The comparative validity of personality traits, socioeconomic status, and cognitive ability for predicting important life outcomes. Perspect Psychol Sci. 2007; 2: 313–345.CrossRef
33.
Hampson SE, Goldberg LR, Vogt TM, Dubanoski JP. Mechanisms by which childhood personality traits influence adult health status: Educational attainment and healthy behaviors. Health Psychol. 2007; 26: 121–125.PubMedCrossRef
34.
Bogg T, Roberts BW. Conscientiousness and health-related behaviors: A meta-analysis of the leading behavioral contributors to mortality. Psychol Bull. 2004; 130: 887–919.PubMedCrossRef
35.
Friedman HS, Tucker JS, Schwartz JE, et al. Childhood conscientiousness and longevity: Health behaviors and cause of death. J Pers Social Psychol. 1995; 68: 696–703.CrossRef
36.
Friedman HS. Personality, disease, and self-healing. In: Friedman HS, Silver RC, eds. Foundations of Health Psychology. New York: Oxford University Press; 2007: 172–199.
37.
Adler NE, Snibbe AC. The role of psychosocial processes in explaining the gradient between socioeconomic status and health. Curr Dir Psychol Sci. 2003; 12: 119–123.CrossRef
38.
Terman LM, Baldwin BT, DeVoss JC, et al. Genetic Studies of Genius: Vol. 1. Mental and Physical Traits of a Thousand Gifted Children. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press; 1925.
39.
Terman LM. The vocational successes of intellectually gifted individuals. Occupations. 1942; 20: 493–498.
40.
41.
Pavalko EK, Elder GH, Clipp EC. Worklives and longevity: Insights from a life course perspective. J Health Soc Behav. 1993; 34: 363–380.PubMedCrossRef
42.
Friedman HS, Tucker JS, Tomlinson-Keasey C, Schwartz JE, Wingard DL, Criqui MH. Does childhood personality predict longevity? J Pers Soc Psychol. 1993; 65: 176–185.PubMedCrossRef
43.
Martin LR, Friedman HS, Schwartz JE. Personality and mortality risk across the lifespan: The importance of conscientiousness as a biopsychosocial attribute. Health Psychol. 2007; 26: 428–436.PubMedCrossRef
44.
Smith TW, Spiro A. Personality, health, and aging: Prolegomenon for the next generation. J Res Pers. 2002; 36: 363–394.CrossRef
45.
Elder GH, Pavalko EK, Clipp EC. Working with Archival Data: Studying Lives. Quantitative Applications in the Social Sciences. Newbury Park, CA: Sage; 1993.
46.
Funder DC, Parke RD, Tomlinson-Keasey C, Widaman K, eds. Studying Lives Through Time: Personality and Development. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association; 1993.
47.
Martin LR, Friedman HS. Comparing personality scales across time: An illustrative study of validity and consistency in life-span archival data. J Pers. 2000; 68: 85–110.PubMedCrossRef
48.
Friedman HS. Long-term relations of personality and health: Dynamisms, mechanisms, and tropisms. J Pers. 2000; 68: 1089–1107.PubMedCrossRef
49.
Oden MH. The fulfillment of promise: 40-year follow-up of the Terman gifted group. Genet Psychol Monogr. 1968; 77: 3–93.PubMed
50.
Schwartz JE, Friedman HS, Tucker JS, Tomlinson-Keasey C, Wingard DL, Criqui MH. Sociodemographic and psychosocial factors in childhood as predictors of adult mortality. Am J Public Health. 1995; 85: 1237–1245.PubMedCrossRef
51.
Martin LR, Friedman HS, Tucker JS, et al. An archival prospective study of mental health and longevity. Health Psychol. 1995; 14: 381–387.PubMedCrossRef
52.
Tucker JS, Friedman HS, Wingard DL, Schwartz JE. Marital history at mid-life as a predictor of longevity: Alternative explanations to the protective effect of marriage. Health Psychol. 1996; 15: 94–101.PubMedCrossRef
53.
Gardner J, Oswald A. How is mortality affected by money, marriage, and stress? J Health Econ. 2004; 23: 1181–1207.PubMed
54.
Gattiker UE, Larwood L. Subjective career success: A study of managers and support personnel. J Bus Psychol. 1986; 1: 78–94.CrossRef
55.
Williams PG, Suchy Y, Rau HK. Individual differences in executive functioning: Implications for stress regulation. Ann Behav Med. 2009.
56.
Nicholson N, de Waal-Andrews W. Playing to win: Biological imperatives, self-regulation, and trade-offs in the game of career success. J Organ Behav. 2005; 26: 137–154.CrossRef
57.
Goodwin RG, Friedman HS. Health status and the five factor personality traits in a nationally representative sample. J Health Psychol. 2006; 11: 643–654.PubMedCrossRef
58.
Tucker JS, Friedman HS, Schwartz JE, et al. Parental divorce: Effects on individual behavior and longevity. J Pers Soc Psychol. 1997; 73: 381–391.PubMedCrossRef
Metadata
Title
Conscientiousness, Career Success, and Longevity: A Lifespan Analysis
Authors
Margaret L. Kern, M.A.
Howard S. Friedman, Ph.D.
Leslie R. Martin, Ph.D.
Chandra A. Reynolds, Ph.D.
Gloria Luong, B.A.
Publication date
01-04-2009
Publisher
Springer-Verlag
Published in
Annals of Behavioral Medicine / Issue 2/2009
Print ISSN: 0883-6612
Electronic ISSN: 1532-4796
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-009-9095-6

Other articles of this Issue 2/2009

Annals of Behavioral Medicine 2/2009 Go to the issue

Original Article

Executive Functions, Self-Regulation, and Chronic Pain: A Review

Original Article

Costing Behavioral Interventions: A Practical Guide to Enhance Translation

Original Article

Exploring the Benefits of Conscientiousness: An Investigation of the Role of Daily Stressors and Health Behaviors

Original Article

A Randomized Trial of Generic Versus Tailored Interventions to Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening Among Intermediate Risk Siblings

Original Article

Poor Decision Making Among Older Adults Is Related to Elevated Levels of Neuroticism

Original Article

The Dynamics of Quality of Life in ALS Patients and Caregivers