Table 2.
Study and Sample Characteristics
| Sample | Analytic N (Participants) | Analytic N (Measurement Occasions) | Country of Data Collection | Year of Baseline Assessment | % Female | Mean (SD) Baseline Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MIDUS | 4,092–4,093 | 10,766 – 10,805 | United States | 1994–1995 | 55 | 47.2 (12.4) |
| NAS | 1,606 | 8,606–8,630 | United States | 1975 | 0 | 51.0 (8.8) |
| WLS | 9,394–9,397 | 24,856–25,487 | United States | 1992/1993 | 54 | 53.0 (4.2) |
| SATSA | 1,647–1,703 | 7,721–8,540 | Sweden | 1984 | 59 | 58.6 (13.8) |
| SLS | 1,083 | 3,565 | United States | 2001 | 56 | 62.2 (14.4) |
| HRS | 11,028–11,031 | 29,192–29,387 | United States | 2006/2008 | 60 | 67.3 (9.7) |
| LASA | 1,623 | 4,477 | The Netherlands | 1992 | 52 | 68.1 (8.2) |
| LBC | 787 | 2,663–2,673 | United Kingdom | 2004–07 | 49 | 69.5 (0.8) |
| EAS | 504–506 | 1,836–1,883 | United States | 2005–2016 | 61 | 79.0 (5.0) |
| BASE | 210 | 554–677 | Germany | 1990–93 | 50 | 79.8 (6.9) |
| OCTO | 309 | 917–923 | Sweden | 1991 | 63 | 82.6 (2.2) |
Note. Samples are shown in order from the youngest to oldest mean age at study baseline. Ranges for analytic N indicate ranges across the Big Five traits. The analytic N includes participants with personality trait data at analytic baseline and at least one additional measurement occasion and is thus smaller than the total sample N. MIDUS = Midlife in the United States Study. NAS = Normative Aging Study. WLS = Wisconsin Longitudinal Study. SATSA = Swedish Adoption/Twin Study of Aging. SLS = Seattle Longitudinal Study. HRS = Health and Retirement Study. LASA = Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam. LBC = Lothian Birth Cohort. EAS = Einstein Aging Study. BASE = Berlin Aging Study. OCTO = Origin of Variances in the Oldest Old: Octogenarian Twins Study.