What's love got to do with it? social functioning, perceived health, and daily happiness in married octogenarians

Psychology and Aging

Volumn 25, Issue 2, 2010, Pages 422-431

  Waldinger, Robert J ^a   Schulz, Marc S ^b  

^a BRIGHAM AND WOMEN S HOSPITAL   (United States)

^b BRYN MAWR COLLEGE   (United States)

Author keywords

Aging; Happiness; Health; Marital satisfaction; Social functioning

Indexed keywords

AGED; ARTICLE; FEMALE; HAPPINESS; HEALTH; HUMAN; MALE; MARRIAGE; NORMAL HUMAN; SOCIAL INTERACTION; STATISTICAL MODEL; ATTITUDE TO HEALTH; HUMAN RELATION; LONGITUDINAL STUDY; LOVE; PSYCHOLOGY; SATISFACTION; SOCIAL ADAPTATION; SPOUSE; VERY ELDERLY;

AGED, 80 AND OVER; ATTITUDE TO HEALTH; FEMALE; HAPPINESS; HUMANS; INTERPERSONAL RELATIONS; LONGITUDINAL STUDIES; LOVE; MALE; PERSONAL SATISFACTION; SOCIAL ADJUSTMENT; SPOUSES;

EID: 77953940910     PISSN: 08827974     EISSN: 19391498     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1037/a0019087     Document Type: Article

References (71)

1. Almeida D.M., Wethington E., Chandler A.L. Daily transmission of tensions between marital dyads and parent-child dyads. Journal of Marriage and the Family 1999, 61:49-61. doi: 10.2307/353882.
2. Benyamini Y., Idler E.L., Leventhal H., Leventhal E.A. Positive affect and function as influences on self-assessments of health: Expanding our view beyond illness and disability. Journals of Gerontology: Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences 2000, 55:P107-P116.
3. Bishop A.J., Martin P., Poon L. Happiness and congruence in older adulthood: A structural model of life satisfaction. Aging and Mental Health 2006, 10:445-453.
4. Bolger N., Davis A., Rafaeli E. Diary methods: Capturing life as it is lived. Annual Review of Psychology 2003, 54:579-616. doi: 10.1146/annurev.psych.54.101601.145030.
5. Bolger N., Zuckerman A., Kessler R.C. Invisible support and adjustment to stress. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2000, 79:953-961. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.79.6.953.
6. Bookwala J., Franks M.M. Moderating role of marital quality in older adults' depressed affect: Beyond the main-effects model. Journals of Gerontology: Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences 2005, 60:338-341.
7. Brandt J., Spencer M., Folstein M. The Telephone Interview for Cognitive Status. Neuropsychiatry, Neuropsychology, and Behavioral Neurology 1988, 1:111-117.
8. Brief A.P., Butcher A.H., George J.M., Link K.E. Integrating bottom-up and top-down theories of subjective well-being: The case of health. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 1993, 64:646-653. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.64.4.646.
9. Cacioppo J.T., Hawkley L.C., Kalil A., Hughes M.E., Waite L., Thisted R.A. Happiness and the invisible threads of social connection: The Chicago Health, Aging, and Social Relations Study. The science of subjective well-being 2008, 195-219. Guilford Press, New York, NY. M. Eid, R. Larsen (Eds.).
10. Carstensen L. Motivation for social contact across the life span: A theory of socioemotional selectivity. Nebraska Symposium on Motivation: 1992, Developmental perspectives on motivation 1993, 40:209-254. University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, NE. J. Jacobs (Ed.).
11. Carstensen L., Isaacowitz D.M., Charles S.T. Taking time seriously: A theory of socioemotional selectivity. American Psychologist 1999, 54:165-181. doi: 10.1037/0003-066X.54.3.165.
12. Carstensen L., Pasupathi M., Mayr U., Nesselroade J.R. Emotional experience in everyday life across the adult life span. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 2000, 79:644-654. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.79.4.644.
13. Casten R., Lawton M., Winter L., Kleban M., Sando R. The relationships of health to affect assessed in both state and trait form: How does age impact the relationships?. Aging and Mental Health 1997, 1:230-237. doi: 10.1080/13607869757119.
14. Christensen A., Heavey C.L. Interventions for couples. Annual Review of Psychology 1999, 50:165-190. doi: 10.1146/annurev.psych.50.1.165.
15. Cleeland C. Measurement of pain by subjective report. Issues in pain measurement 1989, 12:391-403. Raven Press, New York, NY. C.R. Chapman, J.D. Loeser (Eds.).
16. Cohen S. Psychosocial models of social support in the etiology of physical disease. Health Psychology 1988, 7:269-297. doi: 10.1037/0278-6133.7.3.269.
17. Cohen S. Social relationships and health. American Psychologist 2004, 59:676-684. doi: 10.1037/0003-066X.59.8.676.
18. Cohen S., Wills T.A. Stress, social support, and the buffering hypothesis. Psychological Bulletin 1985, 98:310-357. doi: 10.1037/0033-2909.98.2.310.
19. Cornwell B., Laumann E.O., Schumm L.P. The social connectedness of older adults: A national profile. American Sociological Review 2008, 73:185-203. doi: 10.1177/000312240807300201.
20. Curran P.J., Bauer D.J., Willoughby M.T. Testing and probing interactions in hierarchical linear growth models. Methodological issues in aging research 2006, 99-129. Erlbaum, Mahwah, NJ. C.S. Bergeman, S.M. Boker (Eds.).
21. Diener E. Subjective well-being: The science of happiness and a proposal for a national index. American Psychologist 2000, 55:34-43. doi: 10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.34.
22. Diener E., Seligman M.E.P. Very happy people. Psychological Science 2002, 13:81-84. doi: 10.1111/1467-9280.00415.
23. Diener E., Suh E.M., Lucas R.E., Smith H.L. Subjective well-being: Three decades of progress. Psychological Bulletin 1999, 125:276-302. doi: 10.1037/0033-2909.125.2.276.
24. Frederickson B.L., Carstensen L.L. Choosing social partners: How old age and anticipated endings make people more selective. Essential papers on the psychology of aging: Essential papers in psychoanalysis 1998, 511-538. New York University Press, New York, NY. M.P. Lawton, T.A. Salthouse (Eds.).
25. Freeston M.H., Plechaty M. Reconsideration of the Locke-Wallace Marital Adjustment Test: Is it still relevant for the 1990s?. Psychological Reports 1997, 81:419-434. doi: 10.2466/PR0.81.6.419-434.
26. Gallo L.C., Troxel W.M., Kuller L.H., Sutton-Tyrrell K., Edmundowicz D., Matthews K.A. Marital status, marital quality, and atherosclerotic burden in postmenopausal women. Psychosomatic Medicine 2003, 65:952-962. doi: 10.1097/01.PSY.0000097350.95305.FE.
27. Gottman J.M. What predicts divorce? The relationship between marital processes and marital outcomes 1994, Erlbaum, Hillsdale, NJ.
28. Haring-Hidore M., Stock W.A., Okun M.A., Witter R.A. Marital status and subjective well-being: A research synthesis. Journal of Marriage and the Family 1985, 47:947-953. doi: 10.2307/352338.
29. Heath C. What people are 1945, Harvard University Press, Cambridge, MA.
30. Heidrich S., Ryff C. Physical and mental health in later life: The self-system as mediator. Psychology and Aging 1993, 8:327-338. doi: 10.1037/0882-7974.8.3.327.
31. Heisel M., Duberstein P. Suicide prevention in older adults. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice 2005, 12:242-259. doi: 10.1093/clipsy/bpi030.
32. House J., Landis K., Umberson D. Social relationships and health. Science 1988, July 29, 241:540-545. doi: 10.1126/science.3399889.
33. Jelicic M., Kempen G.I.J.M. Chronic medical conditions and life satisfaction in the elderly. Psychology and Health 1999, 14:65-70. doi: 10.1080/08870449908407314.
34. Jopp D., Rott C. Adaptation in very old age: Exploring the role of resources, beliefs, and attitudes for centenarians' happiness. Psychology and Aging 2006, 21:266-280. doi: 10.1037/0882-7974.21.2.266.
35. Kalmijn W., Veenhoven R. Measuring inequality of happiness in nations: In search for proper statistics. Journal of Happiness Studies 2005, 6:357-396. doi: 10.1007/s10902-005-8855-7.
36. Karney B.R., Bradbury T.N. Neuroticism, marital interaction, and the trajectory of marital satisfaction. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 1997, 72:1075-1092. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.72.5.1075.
37. Kiecolt-Glaser J.K., Newton T.L. Marriage and health: His and hers. Psychological Bulletin 2001, 127:472-503. doi: 10.1037/0033-2909.127.4.472.
38. Lang F.R., Carstensen L.L. Close emotional relationships in late life: Further support for proactive aging in the social domain. Psychology and Aging 1994, 9:315-324. doi: 10.1037/0882-7974.9.2.315.
39. Larson R.W., Almeida D.M. Emotional transmission in the daily lives of families: A new paradigm for studying family process. Journal of Marriage and the Family 1999, 61:5-20. doi: 10.2307/353879.
40. Lee G.R., Ishii-Kuntz M. Social interaction, loneliness, and emotional well-being among the elderly. Research on Aging 1987, 9:459-482. doi: 10.1177/0164027587094001.
41. Locke H., Wallace K. Short marital adjustment and prediction tests: Their reliability and validity. Marriage and Family Living 1959, 2:251-255. doi: 10.2307/348022.
42. Lucas R.E. Adaptation and the set-point model of subjective well-being: Does happiness change after major life events?. Current Directions in Psychological Science 2007, 16:75-79. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8721.2007.00479.x.
43. Luo Z., Inoue S. A short daytime nap modulates levels of emotions objectively evaluated by the emotion spectrum analysis method. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences 2000, 54:207-212. doi: 10.1046/j.1440-1819.2000.00660.x.
44. Lyubomirsky S., King L., Diener E. The benefits of frequent positive affect: Does happiness lead to success?. Psychological Bulletin 2005, 131:803-855. doi: 10.1037/0033-2909.131.6.803.
45. Mancini A.D., Bonanno G.A. Marital closeness, functional disability, and adjustment in late life. Psychology and Aging 2006, 21:600-610. doi: 10.1037/0882-7974.21.3.600.
46. Menec V.H. The relation between everyday activities and successful aging: A 6-year longitudinal study. Journals of Gerontology: Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences 2003, 58:S74-S82.
47. Milligan C., Bingley A., Gatrell A. Digging deep: Using diary techniques to explore the place of health and well-being amongst older people. Social Science and Medicine 2005, 61:1882-1892. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2005.04.002.
48. Mroczek D.K., Almeida D.M. The effect of daily stress, personality, and age on daily negative affect. Journal of Personality 2004, 72:355-378. doi: 10.1111/j.0022-3506.2004.00265.x.
49. Mroczek D.K., Kolarz C.M. The effect of age on positive and negative affect: A developmental perspective on happiness. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 1998, 75:1333-1349. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.75.5.1333.
50. O'Brien M., Peyton V. Parenting attitudes and marital intimacy: A longitudinal analysis. Journal of Family Psychology 2002, 16:118-127.
51. Preacher K.J., Curran P.J., Bauer D.J. Computational tools for probing interaction effects in multiple linear regression, multilevel modeling, and latent curve analysis. Journal of Educational and Behavioral Statistics 2006, 31:437-448. doi: 10.3102/10769986031004437.
52. Pressman S.D., Cohen S. Does positive affect influence health?. Psychological Bulletin 2005, 131:925-971. doi: 10.1037/0033-2909.131.6.925.
53. Raudenbush S.W., Brennan R.T., Barnett R.C. A multivariate hierarchical model for studying psychological change within married couples. Journal of Family Psychology 1995, 9:161-174.
54. Raudenbush S., Bryk A. Hierarchical linear models 2002, Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA. 2nd ed.
55. Raudenbush S., Bryk A., Congdon R. Hierarchical Linear and Non-Linear Modeling (HLM; Version 6.06) 2000, Scientific Software, Lincolnwood, IL.
56. Raudenbush S.W., Chan W.-S. Application of a hierarchical linear model to the study of adolescent deviance in an overlapping cohort design. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 1993, 61:941-951. doi: 10.1037/0022-006X.61.6.941.
57. Sandvik E., Diener E., Seidlitz L. Subjective well-being: The convergence and stability of self-report and non-self-report measures. Journal of Personality 1993, 61:317-342. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-6494.1993.tb00283.x.
58. Schulz M.S., Cowan P.A., Cowan C.P. Promoting healthy beginnings: A randomized controlled trial of a preventive intervention to preserve marital quality during the transition to parenthood. Journal of Clinical and Consulting Psychology 2006, 74:20-31. doi: 10.1037/0022-006X.74.1.20.
59. Smith R., Leffingwell T., Ptacek J. Can people remember how they coped? Factors associated with discordance between same-day and retrospective reports. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 1999, 76:1050-1061. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.76.6.1050.
60. Stinson J.N., Kavanagh T., Yamada J., Gill N., Stevens B. Systematic review of the psychometric properties, interpretability and feasibility of self-report pain intensity measures for use in clinical trials in children and adolescents. Pain 2006, 125:143-157. doi: 10.1016/j.pain.2006.05.006.
61. Thoits P. Multiple identities and psychological well-being: A reformation and test of the social isolation hypothesis. American Sociological Review 1983, 48:174-187. doi: 10.2307/2095103.
62. Tugade M.M., Fredrickson B.L., Barrett L.F. Psychological resilience and positive emotional granularity: Examining the benefits of positive emotions on coping and health. Journal of Personality 2004, 72:1161-1190. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-6494.2004.00294.x.
63. Vaillant G. Adaptation to life 1977, Little, Brown, Boston, MA.
64. Vaillant G. Natural history of male psychological health: Effects of mental health on physical health. New England Journal of Medicine 1979, 301:1249-1254.
65. Vaillant G. Natural history of male psychological health, XIV: Relationship of mood disorder vulnerability to physical health. American Journal of Psychiatry 1998, 155:184-191.
66. van Oyen H., Van der Heyden J., Perenboom R., Jagger C. Monitoring population disability: Evaluation of a new Global Activity Limitation Indicator (GALI). Sozial- Und Praventivmedizin 2006, 51:153-161. doi: 10.1007/s00038-006-0035-y.
67. Waite L.J., Gallagher M. The case for marriage: Why married people are happier, healthier, and better off financially 2000, Doubleday, New York, NY.
68. Watson D. Intraindividual and interindividual analyses of positive and negative affect: Their relation to health complaints, perceived stress, and daily activities. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 1988, 54:1020-1030. doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.54.6.1020.
69. Yang Y. Social inequalities in happiness in the United States, 1972 to 2004: An age-period-cohort analysis. American Sociological Review 2008, 73:204-226. doi: 10.1177/000312240807300202.
70. Yorgason J.B., Almeida D., Neupert S.D., Spiro A., III, Hoffman L. A dyadic examination of daily health symptoms and emotional well-being in late-life couples. Family Relations 2006, 55:613-624. doi: 10.1111/j.1741-3729.2006.00430.x.
71. Zimmerman M.A., Arunkumar R. Resiliency research: Implications for school and policy 1994, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI.