Cognitive abilities and personality traits in old age across four years: More stability than change

- Few studies have examined cognition - personality associations in old age.
- The results suggest more stability than change in both domains across four years.
- The present study found few and weak associations between the two domains.
- Processing speed decreased, whereas neuroticism increased across four years.
- Reasoning was related to openness, and conscientiousness was related to verbal knowledge four years later.

The current study (N = 236) examined stability and change of six cognitive abilities and three personality traits in old age (M = 74.12 years, SD = 4.40) over four years. Furthermore, we investigated whether levels of one domain were related to the other domain (and vice versa) four years later. The results showed a mean-level decline for processing speed and a mean-level increase for neuroticism. Cross-lagged effects indicated that reasoning was related to openness and conscientiousness was related to verbal knowledge four years later. In general, few and weak associations between the two domains were found. The findings showed that the development of cognitive abilities and personality traits in old age is marked more by stability than by change.