Profile of elderly people through the five personality factors model (Big Five): a systematic review

Personality characteristics at old age may remain stable, but they may also change due to experiences during the life cycle, which require an individual adjustment to the new circumstances. Personality traits vary from person to person and they tend to be relatively stable throughout life. One of the theories of personality is the Big Five model, which proposes the existence of five main personality factors —this model has evidence of universality and application in different contexts. This study aimed to conduct a systematic literature review of biopsychosocial aspects of personality at old age from the Big Five Model. We used the Personality, Big Five and Elderly descriptors present in the abstract, between 2010 and 2014 in the Scopus, PsycINFO, PubMed, Web of Science and ProQuest international databases. Results showed differences in personality traits with regards to the types of housing, assertiveness, quality of life, affection and metamemory skills. Neuroticism is associated with certain behaviors related to a more negative functioning of the person. Given that the population is aging in many countries, studies with the elderly are important, especially from the perspective of a recognized theory valued in scientific circles.