Want to know how long you'll live? Ask your friends, a new study suggests.
Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis analyzed data from a longitudinal study that began in the 1930s when researchers began following a group of young people in their mid-20s, most of them then engaged to be married.
In the study, both the participants and their close friends in their wedding party gave each other personality trait ratings. The researchers used follow-up studies and death certificates to analyze the data.
Personality traits described by friends were not only strong predictors of mortality risk over a 75-year span, but friends' observations were more accurate than those of the subject’s themselves.
Male participants seen by their friends as open and conscientious ended up living longer. Female participants whose friends rated them as emotionally stable and agreeable also enjoyed longer lifespans, the study found.
"You expect your friends to be inclined to see you in a positive manner, but they also are keen observers of the personality traits that could send you to an early grave," said lead author Joshua Jackson, assistant professor of psychology at Washington University.
The research was published in the journal Psychological Science,
Men who are viewed as conscientious are more likely to eat right, stick with an exercise routine, and avoid risks, such as driving without a seat belt. Women seen as emotionally stable may be better at fighting off anger, anxiety and depression, Jackson said.
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