Skip to main content
Journal cover image

Life events and personality predicting loneliness among centenarians: findings from the Georgia Centenarian Study.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Hensley, B; Martin, P; Margrett, JA; MacDonald, M; Siegler, IC; Poon, LW; Jazwinski, SM; Green, RC; Gearing, M; Woodard, JL; Johnson, MA ...
Published in: J Psychol
2012

Regarding the purpose of this study, the researchers analyzed the roles that both life events (life-time positive events and life-time negative events) and personality (Neuroticism, Extraversion, Trust, Competence, and Ideas) played in participants of the Georgia Centenarian Study. The researchers analyzed these variables to determine whether they predicted loneliness. Analyses indicated that life-time negative events significantly predicted loneliness. In essence, the higher was the number of life-time negative life events, the higher was the loneliness score. Moreover, Neuroticism, Competence, and Ideas were all significant predictors of loneliness. The higher was the level of Neuroticism and intellectual curiosity, the higher was the level of loneliness, whereas the lower was the level of Competence, the higher was the level of loneliness. In addition, both life-time positive and life-time negative life events were significant predictors of Neuroticism. The higher was the number of life-time positive events, the lower was the level of Neuroticism, and the higher was the number of life-time negative events, the greater was the level of Neuroticism. These results indicated that life-time negative events indirectly affect loneliness via Neuroticism. Last, our results indicated that the Competence facet mediated the relationship between lifetime negative life events and loneliness. Life-time negative life events significantly affected centenarians' perceived competence, and Competence in turn significantly affected the centenarians' loneliness. These results as a whole not only add to our understanding of the link between personality and loneliness, but also provide new insight into how life events predict loneliness.

Duke Scholars

Altmetric Attention Stats
Dimensions Citation Stats

Published In

J Psychol

DOI

ISSN

0022-3980

Publication Date

2012

Volume

146

Issue

1-2

Start / End Page

173 / 188

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Social Psychology
  • Personality Inventory
  • Personality
  • Mental Competency
  • Male
  • Loneliness
  • Life Change Events
  • Interview, Psychological
  • Humans
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Hensley, B., Martin, P., Margrett, J. A., MacDonald, M., Siegler, I. C., Poon, L. W., … Arnold, J. (2012). Life events and personality predicting loneliness among centenarians: findings from the Georgia Centenarian Study. J Psychol, 146(1–2), 173–188. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223980.2011.613874
Hensley, Bob, Peter Martin, Jennifer A. Margrett, Maurice MacDonald, Ilene C. Siegler, Leonard W. Poon, S. M. Jazwinski, et al. “Life events and personality predicting loneliness among centenarians: findings from the Georgia Centenarian Study.J Psychol 146, no. 1–2 (2012): 173–88. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223980.2011.613874.
Hensley B, Martin P, Margrett JA, MacDonald M, Siegler IC, Poon LW, et al. Life events and personality predicting loneliness among centenarians: findings from the Georgia Centenarian Study. J Psychol. 2012;146(1–2):173–88.
Hensley, Bob, et al. “Life events and personality predicting loneliness among centenarians: findings from the Georgia Centenarian Study.J Psychol, vol. 146, no. 1–2, 2012, pp. 173–88. Pubmed, doi:10.1080/00223980.2011.613874.
Hensley B, Martin P, Margrett JA, MacDonald M, Siegler IC, Poon LW, Jazwinski SM, Green RC, Gearing M, Woodard JL, Johnson MA, Tenover JS, Rodgers WL, Hausman DB, Rott C, Davey A, Arnold J. Life events and personality predicting loneliness among centenarians: findings from the Georgia Centenarian Study. J Psychol. 2012;146(1–2):173–188.
Journal cover image

Published In

J Psychol

DOI

ISSN

0022-3980

Publication Date

2012

Volume

146

Issue

1-2

Start / End Page

173 / 188

Location

United States

Related Subject Headings

  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Social Psychology
  • Personality Inventory
  • Personality
  • Mental Competency
  • Male
  • Loneliness
  • Life Change Events
  • Interview, Psychological
  • Humans