Graduate Theses and Dissertations                        Iowa State University Capstones, Theses and
                                                                                                        Dissertations
                  2012
                  The relationship between personality, life events
                  and healthy longevity: A comparison of U.S. and
                  Japanese centenarians
                  Grace Dorea da Rosa
                  Iowa State University
                  Follow this and additional works at: https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/etd
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                  Recommended Citation
                  da Rosa, Grace Dorea, "The relationship between personality, life events and healthy longevity: A comparison of U.S. and Japanese
                  centenarians" (2012).Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 12865.
                  https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/etd/12865
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                                              The relationship between personality, life events and healthy longevity:  
                                                                 A comparison of U.S. and Japanese centenarians 
                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                               by 
                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                  
                                                                                               Grace Dorea da Rosa 
                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                  
                                                                           A dissertation submitted to the graduate faculty 
                                                                                                                  
                                                                   in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of 
                                                                                                                  
                                                                                         DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY 
                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                  
                                                                          Major:  Human Development and Family Studies 
                                                                                                                  
                                                                                         Program of Study Committee: 
                                                                                         Peter Martin, Major Professor 
                                                                                                     Christine Cook 
                                                                                                   Jennifer Margrett 
                                                                                                      Susan Maude 
                                                                                                      Daniel Russell 
                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                  
                                             
                                             
                                             
                                             
                                             
                                      
                                                                                                Iowa State University 
                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                        Ames, Iowa 
                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                             2012 
                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                                  
                                                                                                         ii 
                                                                                                                                         
                                                                                     TABLE OF CONTENTS 
                                
                               LIST OF FIGURES                                                                                                                                  vii 
                               LIST OF TABLES                                                                                                                                  viii 
                               ACKNOWLEGEMENTS                                                                                                                                    x 
                               ABSTRACT                                                                                                                                          xi 
                               CHAPTER 1. GENERAL INTRODUCTION                                                                                                                     1 
                                           Literature Review                                                                                                                       4 
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              ii
                                                       Conceptual Framework                                                                                                        4                                                                           
                                                                   The life-span perspective                                                                                       4 
                                                                   Personality trait theories                                                                                      9 
                                           Life Experiences                                                                                                                      14 
                                           Personality Characteristics                                                                                                           17 
                                           Mental Health in Centenarians                                                                                                         21 
                                           Cognitive Health in Centenarians                                                                                                      24
                                           Dissertation Organization                                                                                                             27 
                                           References                                                                                                                            27 
                               CHAPTER 2. EXAMINATION OF IMPORTANT LIFE EXPERIENCE OF THE  
                               OLDEST-OLD: CROSS-CULTURAL COMPARISONS OF U.S. AND JAPANESE 
                               CENTENARIANS                                                                                                                                      39 
                                           Abstract                                                                                                                              39 
                                           Introduction                                                                                                                          40 
                                
                                                               iii 
                    
                          Method                                                                           46 
                                 Participants and Procedures                                               46 
                                        Georgia Centenarian Study (Phase 3)                                46 
                                        Tokyo Centenarian Study                                            47 
                                 Measures                                                                  49 
                                        Demographic variables                                              49 
                                        Life events                                                        49 
                                        Personality reported by proxies                                    52 
                                 Statistical Analyses                                                      54 
                          Results                                                                          55 
                          Discussion                                                                       61 
                          Acknowledgements                                                                 69 
                          References                                                                       70 
                   CHAPTER 3. A CULTURAL COMPARISON OF PERSONALITY PROFILES  
                   OF U.S. AND JAPANESE CENTENARIANS                                                       82 
                          Abstract                                                                         82 
                          Introduction                                                                     83 
                          Method                                                                           85 
                                 Participants and Procedures                                               85 
                                        Georgia Centenarian Study (Phase 3)                                85 
                                        Tokyo Centenarian Study                                            86 
                                 Measures                                                                  87