title: Five-factor personality dimensions, mood states, and cognitive performance in older adults.
abstract: In this study we examined the impact of personality traits and negative mood state on performance in several cognitive domains in a sample of 398 elderly community-dwelling individuals. Multiple linear regression analyses were used to examine the variance in cognitive measures explained by state depression and anxiety after controlling for the effects of demographic characteristics and five-factor model personality traits. Personality traits were found to contribute significantly to cognitive function, explaining 2-7% of the variance in ability across domains. Examination of the contributions of individual five-factor traits showed that Openness had a significant relationship with all indexes of verbal memory and with general cognitive ability. State anxiety and depression variables were found to play a very small part, however, in contributing to cognitive function.
authors.affiliation: James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital, Tampa, FL 33612, USA.
authors.forename: Jane E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Booth
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Schinka
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: James A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Mortimer
authors.forename: Amy R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Borenstein
mesh_terms: D000339:Affect; D000368:Aged / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001007:Anxiety / Q000145:classification* / Q000523:psychology; D003071:Cognition; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003710:Demography; D003863:Depression / Q000145:classification* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010551:Personality / Q000145:classification*; D010555:Personality Inventory; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014481:United States; D014705:Verbal Behavior