by Playfuls Staff |
17th April 2007
A U.S. scientist has found while mellowing with age is thought to have positive effects, doing so [more] might also help you live longer.
Dan Mroczek, an associate professor of child development and family studies at Purdue University, compared neurotic and non-neurotic men over time and tied change in the trait with mortality.
"We found neurotic men whose levels dropped over time had a better chance at living longer," Mroczek said. "They seemed to recover from any damage high levels of the trait may have caused. On the flip side, neurotic men whose neuroticism increased over time died much sooner than their peers."
A neurotic personality was defined as a person with the tendency to worry, feel excessive amounts of anxiety or depression and to react to stressful life events more negatively than people with low levels of the trait. Neuroticism levels were measured using a standardized personality test.
Results of the study are to be published in the late May print edition of the journal Psychological Science. The study is available online at psychologicalscience.org.
© 2007 UPI
