Will I live a long life? is a question that has likely crossed your mind. And while you probably have a guestimate thanks to your doctor and family's medical history, you might want to talk to your close friends, too: According to a study published in Psychological Science, your circle of pals may be picking up on personality traits that reflect how long you're going to live.
The top attributes that have the biggest impact on life span: conscientiousness (good) and neuroticism (bad). "Your friends have important insights into who you are that you may miss or not be able to see," says Joshua Jackson, PhD, lead author of the study and assistant professor of psychology at Washington University in St. Louis. "The personality traits they pick up on can predict health and longevity."
The core of Jackson's discovery is based on a study carried out in the 1930s by experts who were looking for markers of a happy marriage. The researchers analyzed 300 couples and included assessments of the participants' personalities from their friends. The husband-and-wife pairs were subsequently followed up with in the 1950s and again in 1980. Through the span of decades, researchers connected the group's mannerisms with the years of their deaths.
The work may seem archaic, but under Jackson and his coauthors' modern lens, they found that the info is far from dated: "Conscientious individuals are more likely to exercise regularly, eat healthy, and avoid unsafe behaviors, such as drug and alcohol abuse or risky driving," Jackson says, adding that this type of temperament can tack on 7.5 years to your life. "But someone who is neurotic is more likely to experience stress, and is likely to cope with it through dicey behaviors, like smoking or unhealthy eating."
Curious? Send this along to your best gal pal, and see what she says.
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