PSYC 3100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Seat Belt, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism
30 Apr 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Personality Psychology PSYC 3100 — chp. 15
!1
Personality & Physical Health
I. Big Five & Physical Health
•personality correlates with health behavior
•several big five traits jump out, especially conscientiousness
•different traits lead to different outcomes (or similar outcomes form different mechanisms)
•not grand theory yet
•several related old-school personality models (Type D, Type A, etc.)
II. Conscientiousness
•best personality predictor of longevity
•highly conscientious college students are more likely to wear a seat belt, exercise, get
enough sleep, eat more fruits & veggies
•highly conscientious college students are less lily to smoke or to drink alcohol
•conscientious people are more likely to have health diets & smaller waist circumference
•self-control facet —> the ability to control impulses, make good choices, & think before
acting
-college students high in self-control make better grades & have better interpersonal
skills
-student high in self-control are less likely to binge-eat or abuse alcohol
III. Neuroticism
•people high in neuroticism experience more negative emotions (inward and outward)
•more prone to worry about health
•more physical symptoms associated with worry, more health problems (heart disease, high
blood pressure, & obesity)
•more biological aging, shorter lifespan
•more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol and smoke cigarettes
•Type D (distressed) Personality —> combination of high neuroticism & high social
inhibition
-more likely to have had psychotherapy in the past month than non-type Ds (7% versus
1.5%)
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
College students high in self-control make better grades & have better interpersonal skills. Student high in self-control are less likely to binge-eat or abuse alcohol. More likely to have had psychotherapy in the past month than non-type ds (7% versus. More likely to have increased blood pressure after stress, have trouble sleeping, have a heart attack or cancer or die from any cause: connection between neuroticism & illness. One study found the link between neuroticism and death was fully explained by accidents & suicide: managing problems linked to neuroticism. Reducing rumination reduces symptoms > rumination is letting stressful thoughts run through your mind; cognitive-behavioral therapy helps stop rumination. People whose neuroticism declines live longer than those whose neuroticism stays the same or increase. An extraverted sensation seeker who seeks out exciting experiences. Leads to high change of being killed/injured in accidents, convicted of speeding or reckless driving.
