The contribution of personality to longevity: Findings from the Australian Centenarian Study Jenaleen Law a, *, Robyn L. Richmond b , Frances Kay-Lambkin a,c,d a Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia b Faculty of Medicine, School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia c Centre for Translational Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Newcastle, NSW 2308, Australia d National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia 1. Introduction The association between personality and longevity has received increasing attention in the literature, with personality being proposed as the fourth most important contributor to longevity alongside genetic, physical and biological factors (Lehr, 1982). It is thought that some aspects of adult personalities will emerge in response to crises and other events, but generally, after the age of 20 years, there is increasing consistency in personality up until age 75 (Roberts & DelVecchio, 2000), with some evidence to suggest stability of personality traits even into the eighth and ninth decades of life (Mo ˜ttus, Johnson, & Deary, 2011). This enduring personality, referred to as ‘‘personality traits’’, may be partly related to the ability of centenarians to outlive their contemporaries (Perls, Silver, & Lauerman, 1999). Accordingly, centenarian study groups worldwide have begun profiling the personality of centenarians, as a group who has attained ‘‘absolute longevity’’ by surviving to 100 years old (Martin et al., 2006; Thomae, 1993). No research has reported on the personality traits of Australian centenarians. 1.1. Absolute longevity As the current cohort of centenarians have lived through difficult and disappointing times such as world wars and the loss of loved ones, it seems plausible that their longevity is not a result of having avoided stress, but rather of having responded to it in a favorable manner (Perls et al., 1999). In other words, centenarians’ person- alities may be a key factor in their ability to survive life’s stressful episodes (Martin et al., 1992). The personality traits of centenarians have since been examined using standardized personality invento- ries, to see whether they have unique characteristics. These studies are difficult to synthesize, given the different approaches in measuring the personality of centenarians, in terms of actual Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics 59 (2014) 528–535 A R T I C L E I N F O Article history: Received 4 November 2011 Received in revised form 19 June 2014 Accepted 27 June 2014 Available online 6 July 2014 Keywords: Centenarians Longevity Personality NEO-FFI CD-RISC LOT-R A B S T R A C T Objectives: To examine whether centenarians have a unique set of personality traits, which may in part explain their longevity. Methods: 79 Australian centenarians completed the NEO Five Factory Inventory (NEO-FFI), Connor– Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) and Life Orientation Test Revised (LOT-R) to assess different dimensions of their personalities. Centenarians were asked to answer items of the NEO-FFI, CD-RISC and LOT-R based on current views, and were then asked to recall in the presence of an informant (e.g. carers, offspring) on past personality (i.e. at mid-adult-life). Both sets of answers were recorded and analysed. Results: Centenarians were currently low in Openness and Extraversion and high in Neuroticism, but were low in Openness and high in Neuroticism, Conscientiousness and Extraversion when reflecting on past traits. Currently, centenarians in high care facilities reported higher levels of Neuroticism, as did centenarians who did not socialize. Cognitively intact centenarians reported higher levels of Agreeableness; and males reported lower Neuroticism compared to females when reflecting on past experiences. Discussion: Centenarians were characterized by several personality traits, which facilitated positive health behaviors and thus contributed to their longevity. It is possible that personality may not be static across the lifespan, but instead, reflect advancing age, psychosocial factors and changes in life circumstances. ß 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. * Corresponding author at: Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia. Fax: +61 2 9313 6185. E-mail address: jenaleen.law@health.nsw.gov.au (J. Law). Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics jo ur n al ho mep ag e: www .elsevier .c om /lo cate/ar c hg er http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.archger.2014.06.007 0167-4943/ß 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.