Want to be healthy and happy? Choose a conscientious partner
Lynn Williams, University of Strathclyde Your partner’s personality can influence your life in all sorts of ways. For example, studies have shown that a conscientious partner is good for your health. Our latest study shows that they are also good for your quality of life. Personality reflects a person’s characteristic way of thinking, feeling and behaving. Psychologists tend to examine personality across five key traits : extroversion, openness to experiences, conscientiousness, emotional stability and agreeableness. Typically, these traits are measured using questionnaires that help psychologists build up a profile of a person’s personality. Personality characteristics can have a strong impact on health, even influencing how long you live. Research shows that the more conscientious a person is, the longer they live. Conscientiousness is defined by high levels of self-d...