Life Outcomes Related to Personality


Over the last 100 years, there has been a growing body of academic research dedicated to understanding and working towards defining personality and how differences among personalities are related to important individual, interpersonal, and social-institutional outcome constructs that impact our lives in important ways (Ozer & Benet, 2006). Large-scale replication studies have reinforced confidence in these findings (Soto, 2019). Thus far, there are over 40 outcomes which have been found by peer-reviewed research to have a valid and reliable relationship with five factor personality traits. Outcomes can be associated with one or more of the five factor traits and the relationship can be positive or negative. Read more about these outcomes below.



Outcomes Infographic


social outcomes infographic




Individual Outcomes Related to Personality Traits

Individual level outcomes are those that mainly have an impact to ones' self. Related outcomes include cognitive ability, happiness, physical and mental health, self-identity, and personal values.

Existential well-being
Definition
Existential Well-Being is a construct that reflects an individuals sense of meaning, purpose, and resilience.

Related Trait Scores
  • Extraversion and Existential well-being have a positive association.
  • Neuroticism and Existential well-being have a negative association.

    • Depression
    Definition
    Major depression is a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest.

    Related Trait Scores
  • Extraversion and Depression have a negative association.
  • Neuroticism and Depression have a positive association.

    • Verbal Fluency
    Definition
    Verbal fluency is the ability to produce correct examples from a specific category. It is a cognitive task that relies on verbal knowledge, inhibition of similar words from a different semantic category, and tracking / memory of words that have already been produced.

    Related Trait Scores
  • Extraversion and Verbal Fluency have a positive association.
  • Neuroticism and Verbal Fluency have a negative association.
  • Openness and Verbal Fluency have a positive association.

    • Risky behavior & longevity
    Definition
    Risky behavior (e.g., substance abuse, hazardous driving, unprotected sex with multiple partners, attempted suicide) increases the likelihood of negative health outcomes. Longevity refers to the length of an individuals life.

    Related Trait Scores
  • Conscientiousness and Risky behavior & longevity have a negative association.

    • Identity Foreclosure
    Definition
    According to Marcia (1980), identity foreclosure refers to individuals who have committed to a set of occupational and ideological positions (beliefs, attitudes, values), but arrived at these positions through inheritance from external influence [rather than internal reflection]

    Related Trait Scores
  • Openness and Identity Foreclosure have a negative association.

    • Identity integration or consolidation
    Definition
    A persons identity refers to a self-structure: an internal, self-constructed, dynamic organization of drives, abilities, beliefs, and individual history (Marcia, 1980). Identity integration and consolidation are processes of reconciling various roles, responsibilities, and contexts to construct a coherent identity.

    Related Trait Scores
  • Neuroticism and Identity integration or consolidation have a negative association.
  • Openness and Identity integration or consolidation have a positive association.

    • Ethnic-culture identification (for minorities)
    Definition
    Cultural identification refers to an individuals sense of belonging to a certain cultural group (e.g., Canadian, American, or Chinese).

    Related Trait Scores
  • Conscientiousness and Ethnic-culture identification (for minorities) have a positive association.

    • Humor
    Definition
    The general tendency to appreciate amusement, comedy, jokes, self-referential humor, jests, wit, or sarcasm.

    Related Trait Scores
  • Agreeableness and Humor have a positive association.
  • Neuroticism and Humor have a negative association.

    • Substance abuse
    Definition
    Substance abuse refers to use of drugs or alcohol to the extent that it interferes with normal social behavior.

    Related Trait Scores
  • Conscientiousness and Substance abuse have a negative association.
  • Openness and Substance abuse have a positive association.

    • Spiritual Concerns
    Definition
    Spiritual concern refers to an individuals interest in the nature of social constructs labeled spiritual, religious, peak, mystical, transpersonal, transcendent, or numinous.

    Related Trait Scores
  • Openness and Spiritual Concerns have a positive association.

    • Subjective well-being
    Definition
    Subjective Well-Being is a construct that reflects an individuals overall evaluation on the quality or their life from their own perspective.

    Related Trait Scores
  • Extraversion and Subjective well-being have a positive association.
  • Neuroticism and Subjective well-being have a negative association.

    • Majority-culture identification (for minorities)
    Definition
    Cultural identification refers to an individuals sense of belonging to a certain cultural group (e.g., Canadian, American, or Chinese).

    Related Trait Scores
  • Extraversion and Majority-culture identification (for minorities) have a positive association.
  • Openness and Majority-culture identification (for minorities) have a positive association.

    • Coping
    Definition
    Coping refers to the ability to overcome a stressful situation. Strategies that are commonly used to cope include: distraction, redefinition, direct action, catharsis, acceptance, social support, relaxation, and religion.

    Related Trait Scores
  • Extraversion and Coping have a positive association.
  • Neuroticism and Coping have a negative association.

    • Identity Achievement
    Definition
    According to Marcia (1980), identity achievement is the identity status aligned with people who have experienced a decision-making period and are pursuing self-chosen occupation and ideological goals (in contrast to identity status types of foreclosure, identity diffusion, and moratorium).

    Related Trait Scores
  • Conscientiousness and Identity Achievement have a positive association.

    • Inspiration
    Definition
    Inspiration refers to the process of being mentally stimulated to do something and may involve the following characteristics: transcendence (larger than normal concerns), evocation (unwilled), and motivation (desire to make manifest) (Thrash & Elliott, 2004).

    Related Trait Scores
  • Extraversion and Inspiration have a positive association.
  • Openness and Inspiration have a positive association.

    • Religious beliefs and behavior
    Definition
    MacDonald (2000) defined Religious / Spiritual concerns as a five component construct, including: cognitive orientation (perceptions and attitudes toward religious experience); experiential (mystical, transcendental, and transpersonal experiences); existential well-being (a sense of meaning, purpose, and resilience regarding ones existence); and religiousness (religious practice).

    Related Trait Scores
  • Agreeableness and Religious beliefs and behavior have a positive association.
  • Conscientiousness and Religious beliefs and behavior have a positive association.

    • Forgiveness
    Definition
    The tendency to transition ones responses toward a perceived transgression from negative into neutral or positive.

    Related Trait Scores
  • Agreeableness and Forgiveness have a positive association.

    • Anxiety
    Definition
    Type I Anxiety includes the following categories: generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and social phobia.

    Related Trait Scores
  • Neuroticism and Anxiety have a positive association.

    • Heart disease
    Definition
    Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) or Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) is a significant health risk (causing illness and death) and generally occurs when blood vessels supplying the heart with blood become damaged from cholesterol buildup & inflammation.

    Related Trait Scores
  • Agreeableness and Heart disease have a negative association.

    • Gratitude
    Definition
    Gratitude is a general tendency to recognize and respond with grateful emotion when experiencing positive outcomes that are attributable to the benevolence of others.

    Related Trait Scores
  • Agreeableness and Gratitude have a positive association.
  • Extraversion and Gratitude have a positive association.



    • Interpersonal Outcomes Related to Personality Traits

    Interpersonal outcomes are those that impact the closest relationships of a person, such as with friends and family members.

    Peer Status
    Definition
    Peer status refers to relationships within a peer group network using measures such as peer acceptance (one peer nominates another as a friend) and friendship (two peers nominate each other as friends). Status often refers to differences in prominence, respect, and influence among members of a group.

    Related Trait Scores
  • Agreeableness and Peer Status have a positive association.

    • Peer status
    Definition
    Peer status refers to relationships within a peer group network using measures such as peer acceptance (one peer nominates another as a friend) and friendship (two peers nominate each other as friends). Status often refers to differences in prominence, respect, and influence among members of a group.

    Related Trait Scores
  • Extraversion and Peer status have a positive association.
  • Neuroticism and Peer status have a negative association.

    • Attractiveness
    Definition
    Attractiveness is the quality of being appealing and arouse interest from others.

    Related Trait Scores
  • Extraversion and Attractiveness have a positive association.

    • Romantic dissolution
    Definition
    The breakup of a romantic relationship (e.g., separation or divorce).

    Related Trait Scores
  • Neuroticism and Romantic dissolution have a positive association.

    • Peers acceptance and friendship
    Definition
    Peer acceptance refers to relationships within a peer group network where one peer positively acknowledges another (e.g., nominates another person as a friend).

    Related Trait Scores
  • Extraversion and Peers acceptance and friendship have a positive association.

    • Dating variety
    Definition
    Dating variety refers to the number of different people dated (going out on a social or romantic engagement with someone) over a period of time.

    Related Trait Scores
  • Extraversion and Dating variety have a positive association.

    • Romantic conflict
    Definition
    Romantic conflict refers to sources of disagreement between romantic partners.

    Related Trait Scores
  • Neuroticism and Romantic conflict have a positive association.

    • Romantic satisfaction while pursuing a romantic relationship
    Definition
    Romantic satisfaction refers to dating partners evaluations of the romantic relationship.

    Related Trait Scores
  • Agreeableness and Romantic satisfaction while pursuing a romantic relationship have a positive association.
  • Conscientiousness and Romantic satisfaction while pursuing a romantic relationship have a positive association.

    • Romantic satisfaction
    Definition
    Romantic satisfaction refers to married partners evaluations of the romantic relationship.

    Related Trait Scores
  • Extraversion and Romantic satisfaction have a positive association.
  • Neuroticism and Romantic satisfaction have a negative association.

    • Abuse of romantic partner
    Definition
    Romantic abuse refers to physical acts of abuse between romantic partners (e.g., slapping, hitting, forcing sex, etc.).

    Related Trait Scores
  • Neuroticism and Abuse of romantic partner have a positive association.

    • Family satisfaction
    Definition
    Family satisfaction in this context refers to quality of dyadic relationships between intergenerational family members (e.g., parent-child).

    Related Trait Scores
  • Conscientiousness and Family satisfaction have a positive association.
  • Neuroticism and Family satisfaction have a negative association.



    • Social-Institutional Outcomes Related to Personality Traits

    Social-Institutional Outcomes refer to an individual's impact to larger institutions and society in general. This includes criminal behavior, career outcomes, and citizenship.

    Enterprising occupational interests
    Definition
    According to Hollands RIASEC model, Social occupational interests include persuading, manipulating, or directing others (Holland, 1996).

    Related Trait Scores
  • Extraversion and Enterprising occupational interests have a positive association.

    • Job attainment
    Definition
    Occupational attainment is a construct representing different levels of success according to an objective (e.g., low-level unskilled jobs or high-level highly skilled jobs).

    Related Trait Scores
  • Agreeableness and Job attainment have a positive association.

    • Leadership
    Definition
    Leadership behavior involves inspiring the support of followers to cooperate and take action.

    Related Trait Scores
  • Agreeableness and Leadership have a positive association.
  • Extraversion and Leadership have a positive association.

    • Occupational performance
    Definition
    Occupational performance refers to employee actions and behaviors that are relevant to an organizations goals and are measurable. Measures include proficiency such as performance ratings and productivity.

    Related Trait Scores
  • Conscientiousness and Occupational performance have a positive association.

    • Wear a mask as preventative health measure
    Definition
    Masking refers to the practice of wearing a face covering when in the presence of other people, as a method to prevent the spread of airborne diseases.

    Related Trait Scores
  • Agreeableness and Wear a mask as preventative health measure have a positive association.
  • Openness and Wear a mask as preventative health measure have a positive association.

    • Criminal behavior
    Definition
    Criminal behavior indicates that someone has participated in an unlawful act (e.g., theft, vandalism, robbery, assault, public endangerment, etc.).

    Related Trait Scores
  • Agreeableness and Criminal behavior have a negative association.
  • Conscientiousness and Criminal behavior have a negative association.

    • Adhere to Shelter in Place Policy
    Definition
    In the context of a pandemic health crisis, sheltering in place refers to the act of adhering to publich health guidelines to stay at a primary residence, avoiding travel and other public settings as much as possible.

    Related Trait Scores
  • Agreeableness and Adhere to Shelter in Place Policy have a positive association.
  • Conscientiousness and Adhere to Shelter in Place Policy have a positive association.
  • Extraversion and Adhere to Shelter in Place Policy have a negative association.
  • Neuroticism and Adhere to Shelter in Place Policy have a positive association.
  • Openness and Adhere to Shelter in Place Policy have a positive association.

    • Vaccine hesitant
    Definition
    Vaccine hesitancy and resistance refers to a situation where someone is unsure of or against vaccination.

    Related Trait Scores
  • Agreeableness and Vaccine hesitant have a negative association.
  • Neuroticism and Vaccine hesitant have a positive association.

    • Artistic occupational interests
    Definition
    According to Hollands RIASEC model, artistic occupational interests which include activities involving literature, music, and art (Holland, 1996).

    Related Trait Scores
  • Openness and Artistic occupational interests have a positive association.

    • Job satisfaction
    Definition
    Job satisfaction refers to a pleasurable or positive emotional state resulting from the appraisal of ones job / work experiences.

    Related Trait Scores
  • Extraversion and Job satisfaction have a positive association.
  • Neuroticism and Job satisfaction have a negative association.

    • Conservatism
    Definition
    Conservatism is generally associated with the values of freedom [over equality], security, power, achievement, conformity, and tradition.

    Related Trait Scores
  • Conscientiousness and Conservatism have a positive association.
  • Openness and Conservatism have a negative association.

    • Intrinsic success
    Definition
    Intrinsic success is measured in terms of an individuals job satisfaction regarding multiple facets of their career (e.g., income, supervision, job security, coworkers).

    Related Trait Scores
  • Conscientiousness and Intrinsic success have a positive association.

    • Volunteerism
    Definition
    Volunteerism involves planned prosocial behavior benefitting strangers.

    Related Trait Scores
  • Agreeableness and Volunteerism have a positive association.
  • Extraversion and Volunteerism have a positive association.

    • Investigative occupational interests
    Definition
    According to Hollands RIASEC model, Investigative occupational interests include activities involving exploration, understanding and prediction or control of natural and social phenomena (Holland, 1996).

    Related Trait Scores
  • Openness and Investigative occupational interests have a positive association.

    • Right-wing authoritarianism
    Definition
    Right-wing authoritarianism encapsulates behavior that is submissive to authorities, authoritarian aggression, and conventionalism. It is thought that this behavior may manifest as aggression towards outgroups.

    Related Trait Scores
  • Openness and Right-wing authoritarianism have a negative association.

    • Social occupational interests
    Definition
    According to Hollands RIASEC model, Social occupational interests include helping, teaching, treating, counseling, or serving others through personal interaction (Holland, 1996).

    Related Trait Scores
  • Agreeableness and Social occupational interests have a positive association.
  • Extraversion and Social occupational interests have a positive association.

    • Occupational commitment
    Definition
    The psychological and emotional attachment an individual feels to an occupation.

    Related Trait Scores
  • Extraversion and Occupational commitment have a positive association.
  • Neuroticism and Occupational commitment have a negative association.

    • Extrinsic success
    Definition
    Extrinsic career success (e.g., salary and promotions) refer to observable rewards from the job.

    Related Trait Scores
  • Agreeableness and Extrinsic success have a negative association.
  • Conscientiousness and Extrinsic success have a positive association.
  • Neuroticism and Extrinsic success have a negative association.

    • Financial security
    Definition
    Financial security refers to the degree that people perceive that their earnings are adequate for their needs.

    Related Trait Scores
  • Neuroticism and Financial security have a negative association.

    • Antisocial behavior
    Definition
    Antisocial behavior refers to actions that are deemed delinquent, deviant, against social norms, and violate the rights of others.

    Related Trait Scores
  • Conscientiousness and Antisocial behavior have a negative association.
  • Neuroticism and Antisocial behavior have a positive association.



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    References

    Ozer, Daniel & Benet, Veronica. (2006). Personality and the Prediction of Consequential Outcomes. Annual Review of Psychology. 57. 401-21. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.57.102904.190127

    Soto, C. J. (2019). How Replicable Are Links Between Personality Traits and Consequential Life Outcomes? The Life Outcomes of personality Replication Project. Psychological Science, 30(5), 711-727. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0956797619831612