It Literally Pays to Have a Reliable Spouse

New York Magazine:

Conscientiousness is not really up there among the sexiest qualities a person can have, but maybe it should be. New research in Psychological Science found that people who have careful, reliable partners tend to do better at work; they make more money, get more promotions, and are happier at their jobs.

Marry a put-together person, in other words, and their put-together-ness will spill over into your own life, even into your workplace. Suddenly, put-together-ness seems very sexy. The researchers gathered their data via an annual survey in Australia that collects economic and social information. It assesses, among other things, personality traits and job status, and the researchers used it to examine answers from 4,544 married individuals from 2005 to 2009. And for both men and women, having a conscientious partner literally paid off. “Specifically, being married to a spouse who is especially conscientious is associated with higher levels of future job satisfaction, higher levels of future income, and a greater likelihood of being promoted, even when accounting for one’s own level of conscientiousness,” lead author Brittany C. Solomon said in an email. Even if you yourself aren’t the meticulous type, marry one and you’ll reap the rewards.

Read the whole story: New York Magazine