Smart, steadfast kids live longer
The associations of childhood intelligence and dependability with adult mortality were examined in 1,181 people who were representative of the Scottish nation. Participants were born in 1936 and were followed for mortality from 1968 through early 2003. Higher intelligence and greater dependability were independent, significant predictors of lower mortality…Children in the lower half of the distributions for intelligence and dependability were more than twice as likely to die compared with those who scored in the top half for both these measures.
But what are the life-history trade offs? What do you get in return for being dense and unconscientious?
Deary et al (2008) More Intelligent, More Dependable Children Live Longer: A 55-Year Longitudinal Study of a Representative Sample of the Scottish Nation. Psychological Science 19 (9) 874–880. doi 10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02171.x
