Dissertation
PERSONALITY, HEALTH BEHAVIORS, AND COGNITION AMONG MIDLIFE AND OLDER ADULTS
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
01/2020
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/110835
Abstract
Existing research has shown variable associations between personality traits and cognition, yet the mechanisms accounting for this variance have not been clearly identified. The primary aim of the current study was to examine whether health behaviors mediate the association between the Big Five personality traits and cognition among midlife and older adults. One-hundred and seventy-one adults (age range = 40 – 90) completed a neuropsychological evaluation assessing memory and executive functioning as well as personality and health behavior questionnaires. Path analytic models were used to test individual health behaviors (i.e., physical activity, sleep disturbance, alcohol use) and overall health behavior engagement as potential mediators of personality-cognition relations. Overall health behavior engagement fully mediated the associations of extraversion, openness, and neuroticism with episodic memory. Conscientiousness had a negative direct effect and a positive indirect effect through health behaviors on episodic memory. Unexpectedly, agreeableness had a positive direct effect on episodic memory. None of the personality traits were directly or indirectly associated with executive functioning. Although neuroticism had a significant direct effect on sleep disturbance and alcohol use was associated with better episodic memory and executive functioning, none of the individual health behaviors mediated personality-cognition relations. Taken together, these findings provide evidence for health behaviors as potential mechanisms linking personality traits to cognition. Implications for targeted treatment recommendations related to personality characteristics to promote healthy cognitive aging are discussed.
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Details
- Title
- PERSONALITY, HEALTH BEHAVIORS, AND COGNITION AMONG MIDLIFE AND OLDER ADULTS
- Creators
- Robert Prescott Fellows
- Contributors
- Maureen Schmitter-Edgecombe (Advisor)Naomi Chaytor (Committee Member)Carrie Cuttler (Committee Member)Bruce Wright (Committee Member)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Psychology, Department of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Washington State University
- Number of pages
- 75
- Identifiers
- 99900581499001842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Dissertation