Y?o?u?r? ?p?a?r?t?n?e?r?’?s? ?p?e?r?s?o?n?a?l?i?t?y? ?c?a?n? ?i?n?f?l?u?e?n?c?e? ?y?o?u?r? ?l?i?f?e? ?i?n? ?a?l?l? ?s?o?r?t?s? ?o?f? ?w?a?y?s?. For example, studies have shown that a conscientious partner i?s? ?g?o?o?d? ?f?o?r? ?y?o?u?r? ?h?e?a?l?t?h. Our latest study shows that they are also good for your quality of life.
Personality reflects a person’s characteristic way of thinking, feeling and behaving. Psychologists tend to examine personality across five key traits: extroversion, openness to experiences, conscientiousness, emotional stability and agreeableness. Typically, these traits are measured using questionnaires that help psychologists build up a profile of a person’s personality.
Personality characteristics can have a strong impact on health, even influencing how long you live. Research shows that the more conscientious a person is, the longer they live. Conscientiousness is defined by high levels of self-discipline. Because conscientious people are more organised and careful they are more likely to lead healthier lives than their less conscientious peers. For instance, they may be more likely to follow their doctor’s advice, eat more healthily and do more exercise.
It’s not just your own personality that can strongly influence your health, though – your partner’s can too. A US study examined the relationship between partner conscientiousness and health ratings in 2,203 older couples. They found that husbands’ conscientiousness influenced wives’ health, and wives’ conscientiousness influenced husbands’ health. The same findings were also replicated in a more recent study.
These results showed something particularly interesting: conscientiousness had a compensatory effect, meaning that having a more conscientious spouse predicted better health, even after taking into account a participant’s own conscientiousness. A finding that the researchers described as “compensatory conscientiousness”.
A conscientious person is more likely to follow their doctor’s advice. sirtravelalot/Shutterstock
A better quality of life
We recently carried out a study to see if we could find similar effects in younger adults. We also wanted to see if a person’s conscientiousness influenced their partner’s quality of life. The term “quality of life” reflects a person’s satisfaction with their life, including physical health, psychological state and social relationships.
We talked to 182 romantically involved couples, asking each person to complete a questionnaire. The participants were aged from 18 to 78, with an average age of 36. To qualify to take part, couples had to have been in a relationship for at least six months. Just under half the sample was married and most couples lived together. On average, the couples had been together for just over ten years.
Each person completed the questionnaire separately from their partner so that they could not discuss their answers. The survey questions let us measure their personality, using the ten-item personality inventory and ask them questions about their quality of life using questions developed by the World Health Organisation.
Our analysis showed that an individual’s own level of conscientiousness was related to their quality of life, with participants who had higher levels of conscientiousness reporting a better quality of life. We also found that people who had partners with higher levels of conscientiousness also reported having a better quality of life. This finding was true for both men and women.
Our findings raise the question of how a person’s conscientiousness influences their partner’s health. It is likely that partners high in conscientiousness help to create an environment that leads to greater health. For instance, a conscientious partner likes to plan and be organised and so they may provide their partners with useful health reminders, such as to take medication or attend a doctor’s appointment. Conscientious partners are also dependable and so are likely to be good providers of social support for their partner.
These findings show that our partner’s personality is important for our health, so choose your life partner carefully.
About The Author
Lynn Williams, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, University of Strathclyde
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Books on Couples from Amazon's Best Sellers list
"The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work: A Practical Guide from the Country's Foremost Relationship Expert"
by John Gottman and Nan Silver
This best-selling book offers practical advice and strategies for building and maintaining a strong and healthy marriage. Drawing on decades of research, the author outlines seven key principles for creating a successful partnership, including improving communication, managing conflict, and fostering intimacy.
Click for more info or to order
"Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love"
by Sue Johnson
This book provides a step-by-step guide to improving communication and strengthening emotional bonds in romantic relationships. Drawing on the principles of attachment theory, the author offers practical advice and exercises for couples looking to deepen their connection and build a more fulfilling relationship.
Click for more info or to order
"The Love Dare"
by Alex Kendrick and Stephen Kendrick
This popular book offers a 40-day challenge to help couples strengthen their relationship and grow closer to each other. Each day presents a new "dare," such as expressing gratitude or practicing forgiveness, designed to deepen the connection between partners.
Click for more info or to order
"Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus: The Classic Guide to Understanding the Opposite Sex"
by John Gray
This classic book offers a humorous and insightful look at the differences between men and women in relationships. The author offers practical advice for bridging the gap and improving communication between partners.
Click for more info or to order
"The Relationship Cure: A 5 Step Guide to Strengthening Your Marriage, Family, and Friendships"
by John Gottman
This book provides a research-based approach to improving relationships of all kinds, including romantic partnerships. The author outlines five key steps for creating stronger and more fulfilling connections with others, drawing on his extensive experience as a couples therapist and researcher.
