Perfectionism and the Five-factor Personality Traits as Predictors of Mortality in Older Adults

2009/04/21 by P. S. Fry, Dominique L. Debats · 4 citations
Psychology · Medicine · #Perfectionism, Procrastination, Anxiety Studies #Optimism, Hope, and Well-being #Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction #Big Five personality traits #Conscientiousness #Personality #Neuroticism #Extraversion and introversion #Psychology #Optimism #Perfectionism (psychology) #Trait #Clinical psychology #Facet (psychology) #Longevity #Medicine #Gerontology #Social psychology

paper · doi:10.1177/1359105309103571

openalex publication_date 2009/04/21 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/01

Abstract

The major hypothesis of the study was that perfectionism as a personality trait, along with the five-factor personality traits and dispositional optimism, is strongly associated with mortality in late life. After baseline assessment of health and personality traits as predictors of mortality, 450 participants were followed over a period of 6.5 years. Consistent with our hypotheses, findings demonstrated that risk of death was significantly greater for high scorers in perfectionism and neuroticism, compared to low scorers at the time of base line. Conversely, risk of death was significantly lower for high scorers in conscientiousness, extraversion and optimism. Implications for health and longevity are discussed.

Citations

• An Introduction to the Five‐Factor Model and Its Applications
• Effects of optimism on psychological and physical well-being: Theoretical overview and empirical update
• The Power of Personality: The Comparative Validity of Personality Traits, Socioeconomic Status, and Cognitive Ability for Predicting Important Life Outcomes
• Perfectionism in the self and social contexts: Conceptualization, assessment, and association with psychopathology.
• Distinguishing optimism from neuroticism (and trait anxiety, self-mastery, and self-esteem): A reevaluation of the Life Orientation Test.

Cited by

• Perfectionism is increasing over time: A meta-analysis of birth cohort differences from 1989 to 2016.
• Perfectionism and health: A mediational analysis of the roles of stress, social support and health-related behaviours
• Perfectionistic traits and self‐presentation are associated with negative attitudes and concerns about seeking professional psychological help
• Perfectionism (psychology) [wikipedia]