ArticleJournal of personality2019
Autonomous orientation predicts longevity: New findings from the Nun Study.
Article in Journal of personality, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 24 citations in OpenAlex.
- A Cross-Lagged Study of Helicopter Parenting, Parent-Child Conflict, and Adolescents' Short Video Addiction: The Moderating Role of Trait Autonomy.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Influence of daily life and health profile in subtle cognitive decline of women residing in Spanish religious communities: DeCo religious orders study.Frontiers in public health · 2024Observational
- Development and Validation of a Lifespan Prediction Model in Chinese Adults Aged 65 Years or Older.Journal of the American Medical Directors Association · 2023Article
- Social support and psychological well-being in younger and older adults: The mediating effects of basic psychological need satisfaction.Frontiers in psychology · 2022Article
- Do Psychological Needs Play a Role in Times of Uncertainty? Associations with Well-Being During the COVID-19 Crisis.Journal of happiness studies · 2022Article
- Czech and Slovak Members of Religious Institutes: Their Health in Comparison to the General Population.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Article
- When Passion Does Not Change, but Emotions Do: Testing a Social Media Intervention Related to Exercise Activity Engagement.Frontiers in psychology · 2020Article
- Autonomous orientation predicts longevity: New findings from the Nun Study.Journal of personality · 2019Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveWork on longevity has found protective social, cognitive, and emotional factors, but to date we have little understanding of the impact of motivational dynamics. Autonomy orientation, or stable patterns of self-regulation, is theorized to be a protective factor for long-term mental and physical health (Ryan & Deci, 2017), and it is therefore a prime candidate for examining how stable psychosocial factors are linked to longevity, or life expectancy.
methodEssays written in the 1930s by participants in the Nun Study were coded for indicators of an autonomy orientation. These were selected in line with an extensive theoretical literature based in self-determination theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985). Essays were coded for the propensity for choice in action, susceptibility to pressure, self-reflection, integration of experiences, and parental support for autonomy. These coded variables were used to predict age of death.
resultsUsing 176 codable essays provided by now-deceased participants, linear regression analyses revealed that choiceful behavior, self-reflection, and parent autonomy support predicted age of death. Participants who demonstrated these stable and beneficial motivational characteristics lived longer.
conclusionsPersonality constructs reflecting a healthy form of self-regulation are associated with long-term health. Implications for health interventions are discussed.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.