Personality and cognition across the lifespan: investigating their interplay and age-related differences.
- 1Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
- 2Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Abstract
Introduction
Personality-cognition associations may vary across adulthood, but findings are inconsistent. The present study examined associations between personality traits and cognitive functioning within younger and older adults and explored whether these associations differed across age groups.Methods
A cross-sectional design was used. Participants were 191 adults divided into younger (N = 99; 19-49 years) and older (N = 92; 50-87 years) groups. Cognitive functioning was assessed with the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-IV, and personality with the Swedish Universities Scales of Personality. Between-group comparisons, covariate-adjusted hierarchical regressions, and exploratory facet-level and personality-configuration analyses were conducted.Results
Younger adults obtained higher age-normed scores than older adults on Full-Scale IQ, Working Memory, and Processing Speed and reported higher Neuroticism. In younger adults, higher Extraversion was independently associated with lower Full-Scale IQ after adjustment for chronological age, sex, education, Neuroticism, and Aggressiveness. A nominal negative association between Extraversion and Verbal Comprehension did not remain significant after Holm correction. Exploratory facet-level analyses yielded significant overall models for Full-Scale IQ and Verbal Comprehension, with Impulsivity uniquely associated only with Verbal Comprehension. In older adults, no significant one-dimensional personality-cognition associations were observed. Exploratory analyses indicated that a high-Extraversion/low-Neuroticism configuration was associated with better Working Memory and Processing Speed; facet-level characterization implicated Impulsivity, Adventure Seeking, Stress Susceptibility, and Psychic Trait Anxiety.Discussion
The findings suggest a direct association between Extraversion and global cognitive functioning in younger adults, whereas exploratory findings in older adults suggest more configurational personality-cognition patterns. Replication in larger, independent samples is warranted.
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BibTeX
@article{najstrom2026personality,
title = {{Personality and cognition across the lifespan: investigating their interplay and age-related differences.}},
author = {Mats Najström and Ove Almkvist and Maria Lindau},
journal = {Frontiers in psychiatry},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1925413},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42909092},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Personality and cognition across the lifespan: investigating their interplay and age-related differences.
AU - Mats Najström
AU - Ove Almkvist
AU - Maria Lindau
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/07
JO - Frontiers in psychiatry
DO - 10.3389/fpsyt.2026.1925413
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42909092
AB - Introduction Personality-cognition associations may vary across adulthood, but findings are inconsistent. The present study examined associations between personality traits and cognitive functioning within younger and older adults and explored whether these associations differed across age groups.Methods A cross-sectional design was used. Participants were 191 adults divided into younger (N = 99; 19-49 years) and older (N = 92; 50-87 years) groups. Cognitive functioning was assessed with the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-IV, and personality with the Swedish Universities Scales of Personality. Between-group comparisons, covariate-adjusted hierarchical regressions, and exploratory facet-level and personality-configuration analyses were conducted.Results Younger adults obtained higher age-normed scores than older adults on Full-Scale IQ, Working Memory, and Processing Speed and reported higher Neuroticism. In younger adults, higher Extraversion was independently associated with lower Full-Scale IQ after adjustment for chronological age, sex, education, Neuroticism, and Aggressiveness. A nominal negative association between Extraversion and Verbal Comprehension did not remain significant after Holm correction. Exploratory facet-level analyses yielded significant overall models for Full-Scale IQ and Verbal Comprehension, with Impulsivity uniquely associated only with Verbal Comprehension. In older adults, no significant one-dimensional personality-cognition associations were observed. Exploratory analyses indicated that a high-Extraversion/low-Neuroticism configuration was associated with better Working Memory and Processing Speed; facet-level characterization implicated Impulsivity, Adventure Seeking, Stress Susceptibility, and Psychic Trait Anxiety.Discussion The findings suggest a direct association between Extraversion and global cognitive functioning in younger adults, whereas exploratory findings in older adults suggest more configurational personality-cognition patterns. Replication in larger, independent samples is warranted.
SN - 1664-0640
ER -