Personality and Health: Advantages and Limitations of the Five‐Factor Model

Abstract

Interest in the association between personality characteristics and physical health has been renewed in recent years. Theory and research in this area has also been complicated by conceptual and methodological limitations. The present article briefly reviews this literature and discusses the advantages and limitations of the five-factor model of personality as an integrating framework for studies of personality and health. The model has already been fruitfully applied in several contexts, and more possibilities exist. Although it has some potential limitations, the application of the five-factor model--as well as other aspects of current personality theory and research--is likely to facilitate progress in the study of how personality influences health.

Psychosocial factors and health as determinants of quality of life in community-dwelling older adults

“…This study supports the findings of previous studies that personality and mood factors predict QoL over and above other, more objective factors [29,33,35,61]. Depressive mood state plays a particularly important role in these groups, as does the personality trait Emotional Stability, both of which corroborate previous research [6,32].…”

Health benefits: Meta-analytically determining the impact of well-being on objective health outcomes

“…That is, whereas stress activates the sympathetic nervous system, an opposite trigger may decrease sympathetic system activity (Rabin et al, 1994), and promote optimal functioning. Empirical support for this notion is evident in personality research, which has demonstrated that negative traits, such as neuroticism and hostility, relate to increased mortality risk and poor health outcomes (e.g., Smith, 2006;Smith, Glazer, Ruiz, & Gallo, 2004;Smith & Williams, 1992;Suls & Bunde, 2005;Watson & Pennebaker, 1989), whereas positive traits, such as optimism, extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness, relate to decreased mortality risk and better health (Friedman et al, 1993;Hampson, Goldberg, Vogt, & Dubanoski, 2006). Because of the strong correlation between personality traits and SWB, similar mechanisms may characterize the relations between well-being and health (Pressman & Cohen, 2005;Ryff & Singer, 1998).…”

Personality and drunk driving: Identification of DUI types using the Hogan Personality Inventory.

“…Thus, there is currently a large body of research activity applying the FFM to diverse and important realms of inquiry including psychotherapy (Miller,199 I), psychopathology (e.g., Widiger & Trull, 1992;Wiggins & Pincus, 1989), clinical assessment (e.g., Costa & McCrae, 1992a, 1992bMuten, 1991), health psychology (Smith & Williams, 1992), job performance (Barrick & Mount, 1991), and close relationships (Buss, 1992).…”