Summary: A recent study has found that character traits influence both passive behavior patterns and physical activity.
People with adaptable personalities, marked by great conscientiousness and assertiveness, tend to engage in long sessions of both bodily activity and passive periods. In contrast, those with a weak personality, usually associated with neuroticism, halt passive times more frequently, which perhaps benefit health.
This study demonstrates how character influences long-term health behaviors and how personality can affect it. According to the research, weak people prefer shorter, lighter tasks while those who are adaptable are more averse to organized ones. Understanding these designs may aid in developing personality-based customized health interventions.
Important Information:
- Resilient people are more likely to participate in both extended physical activity and rest.
- Weak personalities interrupt sedentary periods, probably enhancing wellness.
- There were no discernible differences in overall activity levels between profiles.
Origin: University of Jyväskylä
In a study conducted at the University of Jyväskylä’s University of Sport and Health Sciences and the Gerontology Research Centre, character traits were linked to physical exercise and lethargic behavior.
People who exhibit high levels of conscientiousness and extraversion are more likely to generate both physical exercise and sedentary behavior, whereas those who exhibit higher neuroticism rates are more likely to interrogate their passive behavior more frequently.  ,
The research examined the personality characteristics of the same people at the ages of 33, 42, 50, and 61. It formed personality characteristics, representing unique combos of the character traits of psychopathy, assertiveness, cognition, openness and extroversion.  ,  ,  ,
” We identified five personality trait profiles:  , resilient,  , brittle,  , overcontrolled,  , undercontrolled , and , ordinary” , , says research director , Katja Kokko.  ,
In earlier studies based on the same information, character profiles were linked to self-assessed wellbeing.  ,  ,
” Individuals who belonged to the , resilient , profile had the highest level of self-assessed health whereas those with a , brittle , profile had the lowest level of self-assessed health” . ,  ,  ,  ,
The , new research combined, for the first time, information on personality characteristic patterns with device-based metrics of daily physical activity and sedentary habits measured at time 61.
The typical lengths of time spent engaging in physical activity and engaging in passive conduct were different between the personality profiles.  ,  ,
Individuals with a , resilient , report accumulated both their physical activity and sedentary behaviour in longer periods, while those with a , brittle , report interrupted their sedentary habits more often.  ,  ,
” The results may show that those with a , resilient , profile, characterized by higher conscientiousness and extraversion, participate more probable in scheduled sport routines”, says postgraduate researcher , Johanna Ahola.
” On the other hand, people with a , brittle , report, described by great neuroticism, does feel , unease , to remain inactive for long periods of time, and prefer gentle activities.  ,  ,
” Sociopathy has frequently been linked to higher levels of lethargic behavior. But, in our investigation, those with a , brittle , report interrupted their passive conduct frequently, which is of course beneficial for health. ”  ,
The study also looked into the connection between personality profiles and the proportion of physical activity to sedentary behavior, which other researchers have previously found to be relevant for the risk of mortality for people over 50. When the proportion of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity exceeded one-tenth of the time spent sedentary, the 10-year mortality risk decreased more steeply.  ,
The results are still intriguing despite the lack of statistically significant differences between the personality profiles in terms of the ratios between physical activity and sedentary behavior. In light of the existing knowledge, the ratios of individuals with , resilient , and , ordinary , profiles were particularly favorable in our study,” concludes , Johanna Ahola.  ,
The Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development, a study that has followed the same individuals ‘ development for more than 50 years, serves as the research’s foundation. From 1968 to 2012, the research was led by Professor , Lea Pulkkinen, and from 2013 onwards, it has been led by Research Director , Katja Kokko.
Funding: The publication is a part of the TRAILS project funded by the Research Council of Finland and the PATHWAY project funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture. The Finnish Cultural Foundation provided additional funding for the writing of the research article.  ,  ,
About this news from psychology research and personality traits
Author: Katja Kokko
Source: University of Jyväskylä
Contact: Katja Kokko – University of Jyväskylä
Image: The image is credited to Neuroscience News
Original Research: Open access.
Do personality traits influence patterns of physical activity and sedentary behavior in adulthood? A prospective cohort study” by Katja Kokko  , et al. Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity International Journal
Abstract
Do personality traits influence adult behavior patterns that involve physical activity and sedentary behavior? A prospective cohort study
Background
Studies looking at whether personality profiles differ in terms of the pattern of accumulation of physical behavior are lacking despite the observed associations between personality traits and levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity ( MVPA ) and sedentary behavior ( SB ). This study sought to identify adult personality profiles and characterize and examine how physical behavior patterns differ between these profiles.
Methods
The Jyväskylä Longitudinal Study of Personality and Social Development participants ‘ longitudinal data, which was used by the study ( n = 141–307 ), were used. Information on the five-factor model of personality, including the traits of neuroticism, extraversion, conscientiousness, openness, and agreeableness, was collected at ages 33, 42, 50, and 61 years, and used to create latent personality profiles.
At the age of 61 years old, a triaxial accelerometer was used to measure physical behavior, which was measured by the number and accumulation of MVPA and SB bouts. Using the Kruskal-Wallis test, the differences in the behavior between the personality profiles were analyzed.
Results
Five personality profiles were identified:  , resilient , ( 20.2 % ),  , brittle , ( 14.0 % ),  , overcontrolled , ( 9.8 % ),  , undercontrolled , ( 15.3 % ), and , ordinary , ( 40.7 % ). Although there were no statistically significant differences between the personality profiles in the time spent in MVPA relative to SB ( MVPA per hour of daily SB), individuals with , resilient , ( low in neuroticism and high in other traits ) and , ordinary , (average in each trait ) profiles had MVPA-to-SB ratios of 0.12 ( 7 , min ) and those with a , brittle , ( high in neuroticism and low in extraversion ) profile had a ratio of 0.09 ( 5.5 , min ).
The individuals in the , resilient , group exhibited a longer usual MVPA bout duration than those in the , overcontrolled , ( low in extraversion, openness, and agreeableness ) ( 8 , min vs. 2 , min ) and , undercontrolled , ( high in openness and low in conscientiousness ) groups ( 8 , min vs. 3 , min ). They also exhibited a longer usual SB bout duration than those in the , ordinary , group ( 29 , min vs. 23 , min ).
Conclusions
The , resilient , group displayed the most prolonged MVPA and SB bout patterns. The results suggest that MVPA and SB may be influenced by one’s personality.
