Longitudinal Associations of Conscientiousness and Neuroticism With Perceived Mastery and Constraints for Aging Adults

Abstract

It has not been well understood how conscientiousness and neuroticism are associated with two related but distinct dimensions of perceived control (i.e., perceived mastery and constraints) among aging adults. The present study examined these associations and their change over time, while addressing whether they differ by age or gender. For respondents aged 50+ at baseline (N = 2,768) in the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study, multilevel modeling analyses were conducted to assess how conscientiousness and neuroticism predicted perceived mastery and constraints over 2 decades. As expected, higher conscientiousness and lower neuroticism (for both between- and within-person variability) predicted higher perceived mastery and lower perceived constraints overall. Nuanced findings emerged related to age, gender and change over time for different associations of conscientiousness and neuroticism with the outcomes. These findings can inform future research suggesting directions of further investigations for these complex associations.

Personality and change in perceived control during the acute stage of the coronavirus pandemic

“…The association between Conscientiousness and the intercept replicates previous cross-sectional associations reported during the pandemic ( Bogg & Milad, 2020 ). It also extends these findings to show that Conscientiousness helps support maintaining PC over time, which is consistent with the positive association between Conscientiousness and PC change in longitudinal studies prior to COVID-19 ( Kaiseler et al, 2012 ; Toyama et al, 2022 ). Adults higher in Conscientiousness tend to engage in behavioral and psychological strategies that minimize stress ( Aschwanden et al, 2021 ; Kaiseler et al, 2012 ; McCrae & Costa, 2010) and thus may have been able to better adapt to the unforeseen impediments caused by COVID-19.…”

“…Two traits in particular—Neuroticism and Conscientiousness—are associated with psychological and behavioral responses to stressful events ( Aschwanden et al, 2021 ; Sutin et al, 2020 ) and inform stress-minimizing strategies ( Kaiseler et al, 2012 ; McCrae & Costa, 2010). And, indeed, higher Neuroticism and lower Conscientiousness are associated with lower PC ( Caci et al, 2020 ; Kaiseler et al, 2012 ; Kandler et al, 2015 ), and Conscientiousness in particular is related to less declines in PC over time ( Kandler et al, 2015 ; Toyama et al, 2022 ). Theoretical models of Neuroticism highlight vulnerability to stress as a key trait component ( Costa & McCrae, 1992 ), empirically expressed as perceiving less control over one's current circumstances ( Kaiseler et al, 2012 ).…”

“…It is important to identify psychological factors that support PC during stressful situations. In particular, the five-factor model (FFM; Costa & McCrae, 2008) of personality has been associated previously with both average levels of PC ( Kaiseler et al, 2012 ) and PC change over time ( Kandler et al, 2015 ; Toyama et al, 2022 ). The FFM operationalizes enduring pattern of actions, behaviors, and thoughts along five dimensions: Neuroticism (e.g., anxious, self-conscious, impulsive, vulnerable), Extraversion (e.g., warm, gregarious, assertive), Openness (e.g., fantasy, aesthetics, feelings), Agreeableness (e.g., trusting, straightforward, compliant), and Conscientiousness (e.g., competent, orderly, achievement-oriented).…”

“…Theoretical models of Neuroticism highlight vulnerability to stress as a key trait component ( Costa & McCrae, 1992 ), empirically expressed as perceiving less control over one's current circumstances ( Kaiseler et al, 2012 ). Theoretical models of Conscientiousness, in contrast, highlight competence as a core component of this trait ( Costa & McCrae, 1992 ), empirically expressed as greater feelings of control ( Toyama et al, 2022 ); in this way, personality may affect PC via appraisal and coping processes ( Kaiseler et al, 2012 ). During the pandemic, higher Neuroticism and lower Conscientiousness, Openness, and Agreeableness have been associated with lower PC measured cross-sectionally ( Bogg & Milad, 2020 ).…”

The Stressful Personality: A Meta-Analytical Review of the Relation Between Personality and Stress

“…The propensity to be self-controlled enables individuals with high levels of conscientiousness to have a better regulation of behaviors and emotions, resulting in decreased psychological stress perception. Furthermore, due to their goal-oriented and hardworking nature, individuals high on conscientiousness may have a better sense of efficacy and mastery to handle stressors (Lee & Klein, 2002; Toyama et al, 2022), which lowers the level of perceived stress.…”