The Relationship Between Conscientiousness and Stress
in Various Aspects of Life
OVERVIEW
This presentation was completed
during the 2019 January Term
course Psychology of Stress and
Coping. The focus was on
conscientiousness, one of the “Big
Five” traits that make up the Five-
Factor Model of Personality, and
how it relates to stress in
personality, lifestyle, and health.
PERSONALITY
• Individuals who are conscientious
are organized, reliable, and self
determined, and tend to use more
problem-focused coping strategies,
which is meant to solve stressful
situations (Bartley & Roesch, 2011).
• A study done at the San Diego
University found that those who
have higher conscientiousness
experience higher positive affect
and use more problem-focused
coping (Bartley & Roesch, 2011).
• There is a direct correlation
between conscientiousness and an
empathetic personality (Bischoff et
al., 2016).
LIFESTYLE
• As found by Wake Forrest
University, to-do lists decrease
anxiety, provide structure, and
prove what has been achieved
(Chunn, 2017).
• In a 2009 study conducted by
Saxbe and Repetti, women self-
admitted poor home organization
endured chronic stress, lower
marital satisfaction, and
increased depressed mood.
• Researchers have found clutter
induces physiological stress
responses, contributing to high
amounts of cortisol (Repetti &
Saxbe, 2010).
LORAS.EDU
Ally Besler, Madison Brewster, Emma Earles
Loras College, Psychology Dr. Grinde
HEALTH
Mental Illness
• People who are highly conscientious are
less vulnerable to negative affect,
significantly lowering the risk for stress
and subsequent health problems
(“Conscientiousness,” 2013).
• Conscientiousness can protect individuals
from depression and anxiety
(“Conscientiousness,” 2013).
• In a study conducted by Kristin Javaras,
she found that those high in
conscientiousness had better emotional
recovery from negative stimuli
(“Conscientiousness,” 2013).
Coping Strategies
• Bartley and Roesch conducted a study in
2011 where participants completed a
daily diary entry that measured daily
stressors, coping strategies used to deal
with those stressors and positive affect
over the course of five days.
• Negative relationships were found
between conscientiousness and
depression, negative mood, and
perceived stress (Bartley & Roesch,
2011).
HIV Disease Progression
• In a 2007 study conducted by O’Cleirigh
et al. HIV positive individuals completed
self-report assessments as well as
physical examinations and blood draws
to measure CD4 (“helper cells”) and viral
load (amount of viruses in the body).
• After one year, participants in the
highest quartile of conscientiousness
experienced a significant decrease in
viral load, and a significant increase in
CD4 cells (O’Cleirigh et al., 2007).
• Higher levels of conscientiousness buffer
the effects of expected disease
progression and decreases stress
(O’Cleirigh et al., 2007).
LIFE @ LORAS
The new and improved Life at Loras
allows the faculty, staff, and students
to organize their everyday lives and
reduce their stress through these
updates: to-do lists, calendars, and e-
mail. These changes provide a way to
organize all aspects through
academics, social life, and campus
wide events to create a unified
community.
CONCLUSIONS
Two studies directly connected
empathy and positive affect to
conscientiousness in a manner that
reduces stress.
Clutter and other home
organizational issues produce stress
that can be prevented through
conscientiousness. To-do lists
promote structure and
conscientiousness, leading to a
decrease in stress levels.
There is a positive relationship
between conscientiousness and
better psychological (lowered risk
for mental illnesses) and
physiological health (less stress-
related diseases and decreased
disease progression), while
simultaneously minimizing stress.
REFERENCES
Bartley, C. E. & Roesch, S. C. (2011). Coping with Daily Stress: The Role of Conscientiousness. National Institute of
Health, 79-83. http://europepmc.org/backend/ptpmcrender.fcgi?accid=PMC2976572&blobtype=pdf.
Bischoff, L., Haas, B. W., Li, M., Melchers, M. C., Montag, C., & Reuter, M. (2016). Similar Personality Patterns Are
Associated with Empathy in Four Different Countries. Frontiers in Psychology.
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00290/full.
Chunn, L. (2017). The Psychology of the To-Do List – Why Your Brain Loves Ordered Tasks. The Guardian.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/may/10/the-psychology-of-the-to-do-list-why-your-brain-loves-ordered-
tasks.
“Conscientiousness May Lead to Better Health.” (2013, August 19). Retrieved January 18, 2019, from
https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/conscientiousness-may-lead-to-better-health-1203122.
O'Cleirigh, C., Ironson, G., Weiss, A., & Costa, P. T., Jr. (2007). Conscientiousness predicts disease progression (CD4
number and viral load) in people living with HIV. Health Psychology, 26(4), 473-480.
doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.loras.edu/10.1037/0278-6133.26.4.473.
Saxbe, D. E., & Repetti, R. (2009). No Place Like Home: Home Tours Correlate with Daily Patterns of Mood and Cortisol.
Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 36(1), 71-81. doi:10.1177/0146167209352864.
Saxbe, D., & Repetti, R. L. (2010). For better or worse? Coregulation of couples’ cortisol levels and mood states. Journal
of Personality and Social Psychology, 98(1), 92-103. Doi:10.1037/a0016959.