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Personality and Cognitive Health in Aging

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Personality and Healthy Aging in Adulthood

Part of the book series: International Perspectives on Aging ((Int. Perspect. Aging,volume 26))

Abstract

Because the risk for cognitive pathologies such as Alzheimer’s Disease increases with advancing age, there is a critical interest in understanding the pathways that promote healthy cognitive aging. In this chapter, we review an increasingly growing set of literatures highlighting the importance of personality traits in shaping trajectories of cognitive health over the adult lifespan. We consider the evidence for differential relationships between personality and a number of cognitive domains (e.g., episodic memory, executive function) and explore the role of specific personality traits as protective factors and risk factors for cognitive change in aging. We chart the pathways (e.g., activity engagement, health behaviors) through which personality impacts cognition and consider the evidence for personality as a critical factor in understanding risk for pathological cognitive impairment in older adulthood.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Neuroscience Program, and Center on Aging, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

    Brennan R. Payne

  2. Department of Educational Psychology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA

    Monika Lohani

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  1. Brennan R. Payne
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  2. Monika Lohani
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Correspondence to Brennan R. Payne .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, Saint Louis, MO, USA

    Patrick L. Hill

  2. Department of Psychology and University Research Priority Program Dynamics of Healthy Aging, University of Zurich, ZĂĽrich, Switzerland

    Mathias Allemand

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Payne, B.R., Lohani, M. (2020). Personality and Cognitive Health in Aging. In: Hill, P.L., Allemand, M. (eds) Personality and Healthy Aging in Adulthood. International Perspectives on Aging, vol 26. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-32053-9_11

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