could be argued that the effect was the result of another artifact, selec -
tive mortality . There are preliminary but intriguing data suggesting that
antagonistic hostility is associated with heart disease (Costa et al.,1989): Young and middle-aged men who are very low in Agreeablenessappear to be at higher risk for experiencing a heart attack. It is possible,therefore, that Agreeableness is higher among older groups only be -64 PERSONALITY IN ADULTHOOD
FIGURE 2. Mean levels of Neuroticism, Extraversion, and Openness to Experi -
ence for 10-year age groups of White men, Black men, White women, and Black
women, aged from 35 to 84 years. Adapted from Costa, McCrae, et al. (1986).