Perceptions of Neighborhood Danger in Older Adulthood: An Individual Differences Perspective

• In Event: 432 - Section on Social Psychology Paper Session. Social Psychology in Context: Dimensions of Health, Stress, Danger, and Subjective Experience

Abstract

This paper examines the implications of personality traits for perceptions of neighborhood danger in older adulthood, motivated by previous work showing that perceptions of danger have serious implications for overall well-being. Using data from a nationally representative survey (N=2261), I find that Neuroticism is associated with perceptions of danger net of 'objective' neighborhood characteristics, and also that the association between Neuroticism and perceived danger is moderated by health and marital status. Individuals in poor health and individuals who were unmarried both showed stronger associations between Neuroticism and perceived danger. I close with theoretical implications for the role of traits in research on aging, health, and neighborhoods.

Author

• James Duncan Iveniuk, University of Chicago