Oh Oh. Study Finds Conscientious People Live Longer

Posted by: Cathy Arnst on October 29, 2008

Re the previous post on distracted parenting, here’s another downside to lack of focus. According to an international study by researchers at the University of California, Riverside, conscientious people live two to four years longer than the disorganized among us.

The researchers analyzed data from 20 studies examining conscientious-related traits and longevity, involving more than 8,900 participants from the U.S., Canada, Germany, Norway, Japan and Sweden. Psychology professor Howard S. Friedman, the lead researcher, said the conscientiousness aspect of personality was reliably predictive of longevity across studies. “This seems to be as important as most commonly assessed medical risk factors, few of which are psychological.”

The study did not look at the reasons behind the conscientious-longevity relationship, but based on his earlier research, Friedman drew some conclusions. He notes that highly conscientious people are also less likely to smoke or drink to excess, and live more stable and less stressful lives.

Not only do conscientious individuals have better health habits and less risk-taking, but they also travel life pathways toward healthier psychosocial environments – such as more stable jobs and marriages – and may even have a biological predisposition toward good health,” he said.

The researchers defined conscientiousness as consisting of three primary traits:
1) responsibility/self-control (socially responsible, self-controlled, not impulsive)
2) order (organized, efficient, disciplined)
3) achievement (achievement oriented, persistent, industrious).
They found that achievement and order were the strongest facets of conscientiousness linked to longevity.

There is some good news for disorganized slugs. People can change, especially as they enter stable jobs or good marriages. “We think our findings can challenge people to think about their lives and what may result from the actions they do,” the researchers said.

Hmmm. Think I’ll straighten up my office now.

Addendum: An NYU study indicates that conscientiousness affects political leanings as well as longevity:

Liberals tend to score higher on all facets of openness, including curiosity, creativity, sensation-seeking, and valuing diversity and novelty for its own sake, he said. On the other hand, conservatives score higher on certain aspects of conscientiousness, such as need for order, discipline, achievement-striving, and rule-following.

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Reader Comments

Monica Starr

October 29, 2008 03:48 PM

My best friend from junior high and high school is an architect. She has perfect handwriting. She was a ballet dancer. She has a perfect body. She works out with a personal trainer three times a week. She eats organic. She has never smoked.

She is the most conscientious person I know. Her desk is neat. Her home could be photographed for House Beautiful at a moment's notice. She writes thank you notes and remembers birthdays and anniversaries. She was the only friend of mine who came to my father's funeral.

My friend has just had emergency brain surgery in Phoenix. She’s got lung cancer that has moved to her brain.

I pray that these conscientious qualities will give her the power to beat cancer.

Jonna Espey

October 29, 2008 08:56 PM

Always remember to differentiate quantity and quality. Also, Voltaire "Moderation in all things, including moderation."

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In this blog, BusinessWeek’s Cathy Arnst, Diane Brady, Anne Newman, Mauro Vaisman, and Lourdes L. Valeriano, lead a broad discussion of the issues and day-to-day concerns of working parents, offering up interviews with work/life experts, examinations of relevant research, and their personal accounts of bouncing between separate, sometimes conflicting worlds.

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