Five-Factor Model personality traits and executive functioning among older adults

Recent theoretical interest in the neuropsychological underpinnings of major personality factors, along with the identification of both personality and executive functioning (EF) as significant predictors of dementia onset, suggest the need to examine personality-EF associations. The current study assessed Five-Factor Model personality traits (NEO Personality Inventory-Revised) and EF in 58 healthy, community-dwelling, older adults (Mage = 69.8, SD = 6.3) using well-validated neuropsychological tests. Results indicated that EF was positively associated with Neuroticism, and negatively associated with Openness to Experience and Agreeableness. Personality facets associated with interpersonal antagonism vs. affiliation (e.g., Angry-Hostility, Warmth, Trust, Tender-Mindedness) were most strongly associated with EF. These findings contribute to a growing literature on the neuropsychological foundations of personality.