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Personality differences predict health-risk behaviors in young adulthood: evidence from a longitudinal study.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Caspi, A; Begg, D; Dickson, N; Harrington, H; Langley, J; Moffitt, TE; Silva, PA
Published in: Journal of personality and social psychology
November 1997

In a longitudinal study of a birth cohort, the authors identified youth involved in each of 4 different health-risk behaviors at age 21: alcohol dependence, violent crime, unsafe sex, and dangerous driving habits. At age 18, the Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ) was used to assess 10 distinct personality traits. At age 3, observational measures were used to classify children into distinct temperament groups. Results showed that a similar constellation of adolescent personality traits, with developmental origins in childhood, is linked to different health-risk behaviors at 21. Associations between the same personality traits and different health-risk behaviors were not an artifact of the same people engaging in different health-risk behaviors; rather, these associations implicated the same personality type in different but related behaviors. In planning campaigns, health professionals may need to design programs that appeal to the unique psychological makeup of persons most at risk for health-risk behaviors.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Journal of personality and social psychology

DOI

EISSN

1939-1315

ISSN

0022-3514

Publication Date

November 1997

Volume

73

Issue

5

Start / End Page

1052 / 1063

Related Subject Headings

  • Violence
  • Temperament
  • Social Psychology
  • Sexual Behavior
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Psychometrics
  • Personality Development
  • Personality Assessment
  • Male
  • Longitudinal Studies
 

Citation

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ICMJE
MLA
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Caspi, A., Begg, D., Dickson, N., Harrington, H., Langley, J., Moffitt, T. E., & Silva, P. A. (1997). Personality differences predict health-risk behaviors in young adulthood: evidence from a longitudinal study. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 73(5), 1052–1063. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.73.5.1052
Caspi, A., D. Begg, N. Dickson, H. Harrington, J. Langley, T. E. Moffitt, and P. A. Silva. “Personality differences predict health-risk behaviors in young adulthood: evidence from a longitudinal study.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 73, no. 5 (November 1997): 1052–63. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.73.5.1052.
Caspi A, Begg D, Dickson N, Harrington H, Langley J, Moffitt TE, et al. Personality differences predict health-risk behaviors in young adulthood: evidence from a longitudinal study. Journal of personality and social psychology. 1997 Nov;73(5):1052–63.
Caspi, A., et al. “Personality differences predict health-risk behaviors in young adulthood: evidence from a longitudinal study.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, vol. 73, no. 5, Nov. 1997, pp. 1052–63. Epmc, doi:10.1037//0022-3514.73.5.1052.
Caspi A, Begg D, Dickson N, Harrington H, Langley J, Moffitt TE, Silva PA. Personality differences predict health-risk behaviors in young adulthood: evidence from a longitudinal study. Journal of personality and social psychology. 1997 Nov;73(5):1052–1063.

Published In

Journal of personality and social psychology

DOI

EISSN

1939-1315

ISSN

0022-3514

Publication Date

November 1997

Volume

73

Issue

5

Start / End Page

1052 / 1063

Related Subject Headings

  • Violence
  • Temperament
  • Social Psychology
  • Sexual Behavior
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Psychometrics
  • Personality Development
  • Personality Assessment
  • Male
  • Longitudinal Studies