Let's Enjoy an Evening on the Couch? A Daily Life Investigation of Shared Problematic Behaviors in Three Couple Studies

Symptom-system fit theory proposes that problematic behaviors are maintained by the social system (e.g., the couple relationship) in which they occur because they help promote positive relationship functioning in the short-term. Across three daily life studies, we examined whether mixed-gender couples reported more positive relationship functioning on days in which they engaged in more shared problematic behaviors. In two studies (Study 1: 82 couples who smoke; Study 2: 117 couples who are inactive), days of more shared problematic behavior were accompanied by higher daily closeness and relationship satisfaction. A third study with 79 couples post-stroke investigating unhealthy eating failed to provide evidence for symptom-system fit. In exploratory lagged analyses, we found more support for prior-day problematic behavior being associated with next-day daily relationship functioning than vice-versa. Together, findings point to the importance of a systems perspective when studying interpersonal dynamics that might be involved in the maintenance of problematic behaviors.

The interpersonal benefits of goal adjustment capacities: the sample case of coping with poor sleep in couples

Introduction

This study examined the role of goal adjustment capacities and coping in the association between spousal sleep efficiency and relationship satisfaction in romantic couples.

Method

A community lifespan sample of 113 heterosexual couples (age range = 21-82 years) was recruited using newspaper advertisements in the Greater Montreal Area from June 2011 to December 2012. Participants completed study measures (i.e., Goal Adjustment Scale, Brief Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, Relationship Assessment Scale, and the Brief Cope) at two time points, ~1 year apart.

Results

The results of actor-partner interdependence models with moderation (MIXED procedure in SPSS) reveal that goal disengagement buffered people from worsening relationship satisfaction associated with poor spousal sleep [95% CI B (-1.17, -0.12)], in part via increases in actor active coping [95% CI B (-0.32, -0.02)] and decreases in partner self-blame [95% CI B (-0.28, -0.01)]. Goal reengagement was related to diminished relationship satisfaction in response to poor own sleep [95% CI B (0.59, 1.79)], in part through increases in actor behavioral disengagement [95% CI B (0.05, 0.41)].

Discussion

These findings point to a need for future studies to examine goal adjustment capacities and relationship-specific coping strategies as potential targets of intervention to maintain peoples' relationship satisfaction in the face of sleep problems.

Daily Rumination-Affect Associations in Dyads During the COVID-19 Pandemic

OBJECTIVES

Negative and repetitive self-oriented thinking (rumination) is associated with lower well-being and health. The social context of rumination remains underexplored and mostly centers on marital relationships. To embrace the diversity of older adult relationships, this study includes a range of different relationships (e.g., spouses, siblings, friends, etc.) and examines the role of rumination by close others on individual well-being during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.

METHODS

Using daily diary data from 140 Canadian older adults (M = 72.21 years, standard deviation [SD] = 5.39, range: 63-87 years, 47% women, 71% university educated) and a close other of their choice (M = 59.95 years, SD = 16.54, range: 18-83 years, 78% women, 81% university educated), this project builds on past research examining daily life rumination dynamics from a dyadic perspective. For 10 days, both dyad members reported their daily rumination and affect quality in the evening.

RESULTS

Multilevel models replicate past work showing that individual rumination was associated with higher negative affect (within-person: b = 0.27, p < .001, between-person: b = 0.57, p < .001) and lower positive affect (within-person: b = -0.18, p < .001, between-person: b = -0.29, p < .001). Importantly, we additionally observed that partner rumination was associated with higher negative affect (b = 0.03, p = .038) and lower positive affect (b = -0.04, p = .023), highlighting the social context of rumination.

DISCUSSION

Findings illustrate the significance of rumination for the self and others and underline the merit of taking a dyadic perspective on what is typically viewed as an individual-level phenomenon.

Three facets of emotion regulation in old and very old age: Strategy use, effectiveness, and variability

The ability to regulate emotions in stressful situations is an important building block for high well-being across the lifespan. Yet, very little is known about how old and very old adults regulate their emotions. In this study, 123 young old adults (Mage = 67.18, SD = 0.94) and 47 very old adults (Mage = 86.70, SD = 1.46) were prompted 6 times a day for 7 consecutive days to report both their stressors and 10 emotion regulation strategies. Overall, there was little indication of age differences in the use of emotion regulation strategies during exposure to stressors, but very old, as compared with young old, individuals used three of the 10 strategies considered here more intensively. The 10 emotion regulation strategies were similarly effective across age groups based on their association with perceived overall emotion regulation success. We also did not find age group differences in within-strategy variability, defined as the variation in using a given strategy across stressor situations. By contrast, between-strategy variability, defined as the selective use of fewer rather than many strategies across stressor situations, was lower for very old participants. Only between-strategy, and not within-strategy, variability contributed to overall emotion regulation success. There was no age group difference in this regard. Taken together, the evidence suggests small age differences in emotion regulation if at all. This is noteworthy given the advanced age of the very old subsample in this study and the deficits in multiple domains of functioning reported in the literature for this advanced age. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Age differences in the experience of everyday happiness: The role of thinking about the future

Happiness can be experienced differently in young as compared to older adulthood, possibly due to shifts in temporal focus and differences in preferences for high- versus low-arousal affective states. The current project aimed to replicate initial evidence on age-related differences in the experience of happiness by investigating the positive affective correlates of everyday happiness; we further explored the role of thinking about the future in moderating such associations. We used daily life assessments from 257 participants (Mage = 48.3, SDage = 24.6; 68% female; 77% Asian [East Asian, South Asian, and Southeast Asian]; 73% postsecondary educated), combining four data sets collected at two locations (Vancouver, Canada; Hong Kong) with different age samples (older and younger adults). Participants provided up to 30 repeated daily life assessments of momentary affective states and thoughts about the future, over 10 days. Results replicate previous findings by showing that happiness was more strongly associated with low-arousal positive affect and more weakly associated with high-arousal positive affect among older compared to younger adults. Engagement in thinking about the future was higher among younger compared to older adults in general, but its role in moderating the association between happiness and positive affect varying in arousal levels was confounded by the age moderation. Separate analyses conducted for each age group indicate different roles of everyday thinking about the future in shaping happiness experiences for different age groups. Age and future thinking-related contours of happiness are discussed in the context of emotional aging theories. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Daily solitude and well-being associations in older dyads: Evidence from daily life assessments

Older adults spend significant time by themselves, especially since COVID-19. Solitude has been associated with positive and negative outcomes. Partners need to balance social connectedness with time for one's own needs. This project examines how individual and partner solitude are associated with daily affect and relationship quality in dyads of older adults and a close other. One-hundred thirty-six older adults plus a close other rated their relationship quality and reported affect, solitude, and its characteristics (desired and bothersome) every evening for 10 days. Over and above overall associations, individual and partner effects emerged; when individual desired solitude was up, participants reported more positive affect and their partners less negative affect. When bothersome solitude was up, participants and their partners alike reported more negative affect and less positive affect. Desired solitude was associated with more support, whereas bothersome solitude was associated with less partner support. Findings provide further evidence on the potential benefits of solitude, highlighting the importance of considering the social context of what is often believed to be an individual-level phenomenon.

Everyday Pain in Middle and Later Life: Associations with Daily and Momentary Present-Moment Awareness as One Key Facet of Mindfulness

This study investigated everyday associations between one key facet of mindfulness (allocating attention to the present moment) and pain. In Study 1, 89 community-dwelling adults (33-88 years; Mage = 68.6) who had experienced a stroke provided 14 daily end-of-day present-moment awareness and pain ratings. In Study 2, 100 adults (50-85 years; Mage = 67.0 years) provided momentary present-moment awareness and pain ratings three times daily for 10 days. Multi-level models showed that higher trait present-moment awareness was linked with lower overall pain (both studies). In Study 1, participants reported less pain on days on which they indicated higher present-moment awareness. In Study 2, only individuals with no post-secondary education reported less pain in moments when they indicated higher present-moment awareness. Findings add to previous research using global retrospective pain measures by showing that present-moment awareness might correlate with reduced pain experiences, assessed close in time to when they occur.

Long-term aging trajectories of the accumulation of disease burden as predictors of daily affect dynamics and stressor reactivity

Multiple-timescale studies provide new opportunities to examine how developmental processes that evolve at different cadences are intertwined. Developmental theories of emotion regulation suggest that the long-term, slowly evolving age-related accumulation of disease burden should shape short-term, faster evolving (daily) affective experiences. To empirically examine this proposition, we combined data from 123 old adults (65-69 years, 47% women) and 32 very old adults (85-88 years, 59% women) who provided 20 + year within-person longitudinal data on physician-rated morbidity and subsequently also completed repeated daily-life assessments of stress and affect six times a day over 7 consecutive days as they were going about their daily-life routines. Results from models that simultaneously articulate growth and intraindividual variability processes (in a dynamic structural equation modeling framework) revealed that individual differences in long-term aging trajectories of the accumulation of disease burden were indeed predictive of differences in three facets of affective dynamics that manifest in everyday life. In particular-over and above mean levels of disease burden-older adults whose disease burden had increased more over the past 20 years had higher base level of negative affect in their daily lives, more emotional reactivity to the experience of daily stressors, and more moment-to-moment fluctuations in negative affect that was unrelated to stressors (affective systemic noise). We highlight that developmental processes evolving over vastly different timescales are intertwined, and speculate how new knowledge about those relations can inform developmental theories of emotion regulation and daily-life functioning. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Daily Affect and Daily Prospective Memory in People after Stroke and Their Partners: The Moderating Role of Resting Heart Rate

INTRODUCTION

Experimental research suggests that affect may influence prospective memory performance, but real-life evidence on affect-prospective memory associations is limited. Moreover, most studies have examined the valence dimension of affect in understanding the influence of affect on cognitive performance in daily life, with insufficient consideration of the arousal dimension. To maximize ecological validity, the current study examined the relationships between daily affect and daily prospective memory using repeated daily assessments and the role of resting heart rate on these relationships. We examined both valence and arousal of daily affect by categorizing affect into four dimensions: high-arousal positive affect, low-arousal positive affect, high-arousal negative affect, and low-arousal negative affect.

METHOD

We examined existing data collected from community-dwelling couples, of which at least one partner had a stroke history. The analytic sample included 111 adults (Mage = 67.46 years, SD = 9.64; 50% women) who provided 1,274 days of data. Among the participants, 58 were living with the effects of a stroke and 53 were partners. Participants completed daily event-based prospective memory tasks (in morning and/or evening questionnaires), reported daily affect in the evening, and wore a wrist-based Fitbit device to monitor resting heart rate over 14 consecutive days.

RESULTS

Results from multilevel models show that, within persons, elevated high-arousal negative affect was associated with worse daily prospective memory performance. In addition, lower resting heart rate attenuated the inverse association between high-arousal negative affect and lowered prospective memory performance. We did not find significant associations of high- or low-arousal positive affect and low-arousal negative affect with daily prospective memory.

DISCUSSION

Our findings are in line with the resource allocation model and the cue-utilization hypothesis in that high-arousal negative affect is detrimental to daily prospective memory performance. Lower resting heart rate may buffer individuals' prospective memory performance from the influence of high-arousal negative affect. These findings are consistent with the neurovisceral integration model on heart-brain connections, highlighting the possibility that cardiovascular fitness may help maintain prospective memory into older adulthood.

In it Together: Relationship Transitions and Couple Concordance in Health and Well-Being

Events that change the family system have the potential to impact couple dynamics such as concordance, that is, partner similarity in health and well-being. This project analyzes longitudinal data (≥ two decades) from both partners of up to 3,501 German and 1,842 Australian couples to investigate how couple concordance in life satisfaction, self-rated health, mental health, and physical health might change with transitioning to parenthood and an empty nest. Results revealed couple concordance in intercepts (averaged r = .52), linear trajectories (averaged r = .55), and wave-specific fluctuations around trajectories (averaged r = .21). Concordance in linear trajectories was stronger after transitions (averaged r = .81) than before transitions (averaged r = .43), whereas no systematic transition-related change in concordance of wave-specific fluctuations was found. Findings emphasize that shared transitions represent windows of change capable of sending couples onto mutual upward or downward trajectories in health and well-being.

Having time to oneself in times of extended togetherness: Solitude experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic

This study investigated how time to oneself (solitude) is experienced under conditions of extended togetherness with household members during the pandemic. Both structural (living arrangements) and qualitative characteristics (relationship quality and conflict) were examined for their association with solitude desire and daily solitude-affect links. We expected that people living with others and those with more high-quality as well as those with more conflictual relationships would report better affect quality when experiencing solitude. A Canadian adult lifespan sample (N = 141; M_age  = 38.43 years, SD_age  = 17.51; 81% female; 73% White; data collected from April to August 2020) provided information on household size and relationship characteristics and completed repeated daily life assessments of solitude desire, solitude, and affect. Findings show that living arrangements were not associated with an increased desire for solitude or better affect quality from solitude. Individuals reporting higher relationship quality and individuals reporting more conflict showed more favorable affect quality on days when they had time in solitude than individuals reporting lower quality relationships and lower conflict. Findings add to the growing solitude literature by delineating who seeks and benefits from solitude, and under what conditions.

Time-varying associations between loneliness and physical activity: Evidence from repeated daily life assessments in an adult lifespan sample

Physical activity is a behavior that promotes physical and mental health; yet physical activity has decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic. To promote health during times of challenge, it is important to identify potential barriers to this key health behavior, such as loneliness. This brief report extends previous research on physical activity and loneliness that mainly focused on between-person differences to examine their time-varying associations at the within-person level using repeated daily life assessments. From April 2020 to August 2020, data were collected from a sample of 139 community-dwelling Canadian adults (M _age = 40.65 years, SD = 18.37; range = 18-83 years). Each evening for 10 consecutive days, participants reported their loneliness, number of steps, and minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity. Results revealed that, in line with our hypotheses, on days when participants reported more loneliness they also engaged in less moderate-to-vigorous physical activity than on less lonely days (estimate = -0.24, p = 0.007); there was a significant negative association between loneliness and daily number of steps (estimate = -18.42, p = 0.041). In contrast, at the between-person level, overall loneliness was not associated with overall physical activity engagement after accounting for within-person differences and control variables (age, sex, day in study). From an intervention perspective, our findings suggest that it is promising to tackle loneliness on a day-to-day basis to increase physical activity one day at a time. This may be especially relevant during times mandating social-distancing, but also at other times when individuals experience greater feelings of loneliness.

Having a Good Time Together: The Role of Companionship in Older Couples' Everyday Life

INTRODUCTION

Companionship (i.e., enjoyable shared activities) is associated with higher emotional and relational well-being. However, the role of companionship for emotional well-being and relationship satisfaction in older couples' everyday life is not well understood. This article studies time-varying associations of companionship with emotional and relational well-being as older couples engage in their everyday life.

METHODS

Participants provided three data points a day over 7 days using electronic surveys that were simultaneously completed by both partners. A total of 118 older heterosexual couples reported momentary companionship, positive and negative affect, and closeness. Data were analyzed using an intensive longitudinal dyadic score model.

RESULTS

Couples with higher average companionship showed lower overall negative affect, more overall positive affect, and higher overall closeness. During moments of elevated momentary companionship, partners reported more positive affect, less negative affect, and higher closeness. Regarding between-couple partner differences, i.e., when the female partner's momentary companionship was higher on average than the male partner's momentary companionship, the female partner also showed less negative affect, more positive affect, and higher closeness than the male partner. During moments in which the female partner's momentary companionship was higher than the male partner's momentary companionship, the female partner showed less negative affect, more positive affect, and higher closeness than the male partner.

DISCUSSION

Older couples show a consistent link between companionship and emotional well-being and closeness in everyday life emphasizing the importance of studying companionship in close relationships.

Time-Varying Daily Gratitude-Affect Links Across the Adult Lifespan

Abstract. Everyday gratitude may shape affect intensity, particularly during challenging times like a pandemic. A group of 140 community-dwelling Canadian participants ( Mage = 40.49 years, range: 18–83; 80% women) provided up to 10 days of daily gratitude and affect ratings during the first pandemic wave. Multilevel models show that everyday gratitude was associated with higher positive affect and lower negative affect, independent of age; age was positively correlated with the number of social gratitude events. Participants reported lower negative affect if a social gratitude event involved more than less diverse social partners. The findings point to the merit of examining time-varying associations in gratitude as a potential resource for everyday affect across the adult lifespan.

A lifespan psychological perspective on solitude

Solitude occurs from childhood to old age. In this special issue introduction, we offer a lifespan perspective on matters of solitude with the aim to point to pertinent issues in the field. We propose that solitude serves important functions that may vary across different times in life and that solitude needs to be considered in the context in which it occurs. In applying these lifespan developmental notions, we carve out some open questions that will help extend the current knowledge base including a consideration of issues regarding operational definitions of solitude. We also point to methodological challenges such as capturing processes that unfold on different timescales that need to be addressed to advance the field.

Momentary subjective age is associated with perceived and physiological stress in the daily lives of old and very old adults

Subjective age, that is the age people feel in relation to their chronological age, can vary on a day-to-day and even momentary basis. Previous long-term and daily-diary studies have shown that elevated stress covaries with older subjective age. However, it is an open question whether such links can also be observed at the momentary level within a given day and go beyond self-reports of stress. Moving ahead, we investigated how two indicators of stress (self-reported: perceived stress; physiological: salivary cortisol) are associated with the age people feel on a momentary basis. We examined data from 118 older (M_age = 66.67 years) and 36 very old adults (M_age = 85.92 years) who reported their momentary subjective age and perceived stress and also provided saliva samples up to seven times a day over seven consecutive days. Dynamic structural equation models showed that both higher momentary perceived stress and higher cortisol levels preceding the measurement predicted an older momentary subjective age. In contrast, subjective age at the previous measurement did not predict subsequent stress. These effects were moderated by participant age group and grip strength, albeit not consistently. Our results corroborate and extend earlier findings that both self-reported and physiological stress are important explanatory variables for people's subjective age variation even on relatively short time scales and shed light on differential time-ordered dynamics between stress and subjective age in daily life. Findings also inform theoretical models of subjective age that highlight the importance of contextual, momentary influences on how old people feel and help better understand how biological and psychological processes are intertwined in later life. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Defining and implementing patient-centered care: An umbrella review

OBJECTIVES

Patient- or person-centered care (PCC) integrates people's preferences, values, and beliefs into health decision-making. Gaps exist for defining and implementing PCC; therefore, we aimed to identify core elements of PCC and synthesize implementation facilitators and barriers.

METHODS

We conducted an overview of systematic reviews (umbrella review) and included peer-reviewed literature for adults in community/primary care settings. Two reviewers independently screened at Level 1 and 2, extracted data and appraised the quality of reviews. Three reviewers conducted a thematic analysis, and we present a narrative synthesis of findings.

RESULTS

There were 2371 citations screened, and 10 systematic reviews included. We identified 10 PCC definitions with common elements, such as patient empowerment, patient individuality, and a biopsychosocial approach. Implementation factors focused on communication, training healthcare providers, and organizational structure.

CONCLUSIONS

We provide a synthesis of key PCC elements to include in a future definition, and an overview of elements to consider for implementing PCC into practice. We extend existing literature by identifying clinician empowerment and culture change at the systems-level as two future areas to prioritize to enable routine integration of PCC into practice.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

Findings may be useful for researchers and or health providers delivering and evaluating PCC.

The differential roles of chronic and transient loneliness in daily prosocial behavior

Loneliness is a recognized risk factor for morbidity and mortality across the adult life span including old age. Loneliness is a negative emotional experience that has been associated with social isolation, but loneliness may also be adaptive to the extent that it signals a need to socially reengage. To reconcile these seemingly contradictory findings, we unpack the timing of the underlying processes by distinguishing between transient and chronic loneliness in shaping prosocial behaviors. Using 10 days of electronic daily life assessments from 100 middle-aged and older adults (M_age = 67.0 years; 64.0% women), findings indicate that chronic loneliness moderates time-varying associations between transient loneliness and prosocial behavior. Simple slope results point to individual differences in daily loneliness-prosocial action associations. Specifically, adults high in chronic loneliness, but not those low in chronic loneliness, showed decreased prosocial behaviors on days with elevated transient loneliness. Findings suggest that chronic loneliness may elicit maladaptive responses to transient loneliness by hampering the use of opportunities to engage in prosocial behavior. Exploratory analyses point to fear of evaluation as a potential mechanism that is associated with increased loneliness and reduced prosocial behavior. Findings highlight the differential roles of transient and chronic loneliness in shaping prosocial activities in midlife and older adulthood, thereby providing a more nuanced picture as well as potential avenues for intervention. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Partner Contributions to Goal Pursuit: Findings From Repeated Daily Life Assessments With Older Couples

OBJECTIVES

This study focuses on the role of spouses for facilitating goal progress during a phase in life when individual resources for goal pursuit are particularly limited. Specifically, we examined the moderating role of relationship characteristics in old age for time-varying partner involvement-goal progress associations as couples engaged in their everyday lives. We also assessed time-varying associations between everyday goal progress, effectiveness of partner contributions, and spousal satisfaction with this contribution.

METHODS

We used multilevel modeling to analyze data from 118 couples (Mage = 70 years, SD = 5.9; 60-87 years, 50% women; 57% White). Both partners reported their personal goals and provided information on relationship satisfaction, conflict, and support. They also provided simultaneous ratings of everyday goal progress, effort, partner involvement as well as effectiveness of and satisfaction with partner contribution up to three times daily over 7 days.

RESULTS

In line with expectations, higher relationship satisfaction and support and lower conflict were associated with higher goal progress when the partner was involved in goal pursuit. Both effectiveness of and satisfaction with partner contributions were positively associated with everyday goal progress.

DISCUSSION

Whether partner involvement is beneficial for goal progress depends on characteristics of the relationship as well as what partners actually do in everyday life. This highlights the importance of considering both stable person characteristics as well as time-varying processes to capture the complexity of goal pursuit in older couples.

Positive and negative affect are associated with salivary cortisol in the everyday life of older adults: A quantitative synthesis of four aging studies

Research on time-fluctuating links between positive affect and cortisol is inconsistent and mostly based on young to middle-aged samples. The current project investigated how moment-to-moment changes in positive and negative affect are associated with moment-to-moment changes in cortisol levels in older adults' daily lives and whether those associations are moderated by differences in health status (as indicated by the number of comorbidities). Affect and cortisol data collected in four separately conducted momentary assessment studies with parallel protocols were pooled to obtain a sample of N=476 individuals aged 56-88 years (M_age=71.9, SD=6.6; 52% female). Participants provided affect reports and collected salivary cortisol 5-7 times a day for a 7-day period and reported the presence of 13 different health conditions. Data were analyzed using multilevel models, with time since waking, daily behaviors associated with cortisol secretion, age, and sex controlled. Feeling more positive affect than usual was associated with lower momentary cortisol. In contrast, feeling more negative affect than usual was associated with higher momentary cortisol. Associations of momentary positive and negative affect with cortisol were weaker among participants in worse as compared to those in better health. Trait positive affectivity was associated with more curvature of waking cortisol profiles and trait negative affectivity was associated with smaller cortisol awakening responses. Findings suggest that HPA axis responses fluctuate with everyday changes in positive and negative affect in older adults, and that higher HPA reactivity may indicate preserved health in this age group.

A developmental-contextual model of couple synchrony across adulthood and old age

Most theoretical models on social dynamics governing development and health across adulthood and old age rely on a "single-unit" approach. We put forth a developmental-contextual model (CoSynch) that utilizes the concept of synchrony (interdependent fluctuations in physiological states and health behaviors) as a novel way to conceptualize social developmental dynamics. Using the sample case of romantic partners, this model aims for an innovative integration of available findings addressing everyday microsocial dynamics in dyads that contribute to overall partner concordance in health trajectories. Specifically, the model builds on 5 propositions to integrate existing empirical findings and infuse future research. Proposition P1: Synchrony is shaped by closeness and shared contexts; P2: Synchrony in physiology and health behaviors follows a u-shaped curve with younger and older adult couples showing greater synchrony than middle-aged couples, but with greater diversification of synchrony in very old age; P3: Couple synchrony is profoundly shaped by life events; P4: Synchrony is correlated with pertinent individual and dyad characteristics; P5: Effects of everyday couple synchrony accumulate over time, thereby carrying significant implications for the health of all involved parties. We also point to open questions and suggest future directions for applying the model that are going to advance knowledge on the social and health dynamics underlying adult development and aging. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Active With Whom? Examining the Social Context of Physical Activity in Individuals After Stroke and Their Partners

Engaging in regular moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) is crucial to reduce future health risk for individuals living with the effects of a stroke and their partners. Although numerous studies point to the importance of social factors in physical activity engagement, little is known about with whom individuals after stroke and their partners engage in physical activity with and whether different physical activity companions are uniquely associated with MVPA. Eighty-nine community-dwelling individuals after stroke (M_age = 68.64, SD = 10.44; 74% male) and 83 partners (M_age = 66.04, SD = 9.91; 24% male) completed 14 consecutive days of daily life assessments that included wearing physical activity monitors (accelerometers) and self-reporting physical activity companions (n = 1,961 days). Results show that average levels of MVPA were correlated between partners (r = 0.38), as were day-to-day MVPA fluctuations (r = 0.34). Importantly, for individuals after stroke, being active with their partner, but not with any other physical activity companion, was linked with elevated daily MVPA. In contrast, for partners of individuals after stroke, engaging in physical activity with a variety of different companions (partner, other family member, friend, colleague) was each associated with higher MVPA in daily life. For both individuals after stroke and their partners being active by oneself (without a companion) on a given day was not associated with elevated MVPA. Findings suggest that interventions that promote physical activity engagement should consider the role of meaningful others, with the partner being particularly key for individuals living with chronic health conditions.

Time-varying associations between everyday affect and cortisol in older couples

OBJECTIVE

Positive as well as negative emotional experiences fluctuate and they may be shared between romantic partners. Everyday emotion dynamics in couples may relate to physiological stress responses, with accompanying cortisol secretion being one pathway through which emotional dynamics can "get under the skin." We examined time-varying relationships of one's own as well as one's partner's sadness and contentment with salivary cortisol. We also examined the degree to which perceptions that the respective partner was sharing their feelings moderates these associations.

METHOD

Both partners of 84 community-dwelling older adult couples (M_age = 71.1 years) provided simultaneous daily life assessments of momentary cortisol, sadness and contentment, and perceptions of shared spousal feelings four times per day over seven consecutive days (up to 28 assessments).

RESULTS

Momentary cortisol was higher in moments when individuals reported higher sadness, lower contentment, and perceptions that their partner was sharing their feelings less than usual. Cortisol was also higher when the partner reported higher sadness and lower contentment but only when one felt that the partner was sharing their feelings more than usual at that moment in time.

CONCLUSIONS

This study illuminates a potential pathway (i.e., perceptions of shared spousal feelings) by which not only one's own emotional experiences, but also those of the spouse, are associated with the activation of physiological stress systems as indicated by elevated cortisol in a sample of older couples. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Healthy Aging-Relevant Goals: The Role of Person-Context Co-construction

OBJECTIVES

This article considers how individuals' motivation for healthy aging manifests within the myriad of different contexts that older adults are embedded in as they move through later life.

METHODS

Drawing on the concept of co-construction, we argue that persons and contexts both contribute to the emergence, maintenance, and disengagement from healthy aging relevant goals in adulthood and old age.

RESULTS

To promote the understanding of such co-constructive dynamics, we propose four conceptual refinements of previous healthy aging models. First, we outline various different, often multidirectional, ways in which persons and contexts conjointly contribute to how people set, pursue, and disengage from health goals. Second, we promote consideration of context as involving unique, shared, and interactive effects of socio-economic, social, physical, care/service, and technology dimensions. Third, we highlight how the relevance, utility, and nature of these context dimensions and their role in co-constructing health goals change as individuals move through the Third Age, the Fourth Age, and a terminal stages of life. Finally, we suggest that these conceptual refinements be linked to established (motivational) theories of lifespan development and aging.

DISCUSSIONS

In closing, we outline a set of research questions that promise to advance our understanding of the mechanisms by which contexts and aging persons co-construct healthy aging relevant goals and elaborate on the applied significance of this approach for common public health practices.

COVID-19, time to oneself, and loneliness: Creativity as a resource

Objectives

Physical distancing to reduce the spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 has increased alone time, with unintended mental health ramifications including increased loneliness, which may be particularly detrimental for older adults. We investigated time-varying associations between daily time to oneself and loneliness, and the role of everyday creativity as a resource.

Methods

126 adults aged 18-84 completed online questionnaires including a 10-day daily diary module, during which they self-reported alone time, everyday creativity, and loneliness. Data were analyzed using multilevel models, controlling for study day, participation date, gender, and relationship status.

Results

Greater average amounts of alone time were associated with greater loneliness, an association that was stronger in old age. In a daily context, individuals reported feeling lonelier on days when they had more time to themselves than usual. This within-person association was weaker with older age. Everyday creativity did not moderate alone time-loneliness associations. However, holding time to oneself constant, participants felt less lonely and less bothered by alone time on days when they were more creative than usual.

Discussion

Participating in creative behaviors (e.g., pursuing arts and crafts) might be linked with reduced loneliness. Intervention studies are needed to investigate whether fostering creativity could help promote mental well-being in times when people, especially older adults, are vulnerable to loneliness and associated health risks.

Joint Goals in Older Couples: Associations With Goal Progress, Allostatic Load, and Relationship Satisfaction

Older adults often have long-term relationships, and many of their goals are intertwined with their respective partners. Joint goals can help or hinder goal progress. Little is known about how accurately older adults assess if a goal is joint, the role of over-reporting in these perceptions, and how joint goals and over-reporting may relate to older partners' relationship satisfaction and physical health (operationally defined as allostatic load). Two-hundred-thirty-six older adults from 118 couples (50% female; M _age = 71 years) listed their three most important goals and whether they thought of them as goals they had in common with and wanted to achieve together with their partner (self-reported joint goals). Two independent raters classified goals as "joint" if both partners independently listed open-ended goals of the same content. Goal progress and relationship satisfaction were assessed 1 week later. Allostatic load was calculated using nine different biomarkers. Results show that 85% self-reported at least one goal as joint. Over-reporting- the perception that a goal was joint when in fact it was not mentioned among the three most salient goals of the spouse - occurred in one-third of all goals. Multilevel models indicate that the number of externally-rated joint goals was related to greater goal progress and lower allostatic load, but only for adults with little over-reporting. More joint goals and higher over-reporting were each linked with more relationship satisfaction. In conclusion, joint goals are associated with goal progress, relationship satisfaction, and health, but the association is dependent on the domain of functioning.

You're under my skin: Long-term relationship and health correlates of cortisol synchrony in older couples

Growing evidence points to systematic linkages in various physiological indices among romantic partners. This physiological synchrony may facilitate intimacy and connectedness in couples. However, synchronous increases in physiological arousal could also hamper the respective partners' health. To shed light on the consequences of physiological synchrony as well as their potential gender specificity, the current study examined associations between everyday cortisol synchrony and levels of and subsequent changes to relationship satisfaction and non-high-density lipoprotein (non-HDL) cholesterol levels over a 3-year period. Older couples (N = 85; age range = 60-87 years) provided saliva samples for cortisol estimation 5 times daily for 7 days. They further reported their relationship satisfaction and provided a blood sample that was analyzed for lipid levels up to three times in 1-year intervals. Data were analyzed using dyadic growth curve models. Among wives, higher cortisol synchrony was associated with stronger increases in relationship satisfaction over time (b = 1.61, p = .011) but also stronger increases in non-HDL cholesterol levels over time (b = 2.02, p = .042). For husbands, higher cortisol synchrony was not significantly associated with levels or changes of relationship satisfaction but with higher non-HDL cholesterol levels at Time 1 (b = 6.54, p = .015). Synchrony may be important for bonding and relationship maintenance. However, being strongly linked to a romantic partner's physiology may also have health costs due to the accumulative burden of repeated elevations in cortisol, possibly affecting husbands and wives in different ways. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Political context is associated with everyday cortisol synchrony in older couples

Prior research with predominantly younger to middle-aged samples has demonstrated that couples' cortisol levels covary throughout the day (cortisol synchrony). Not much is known about cortisol synchrony in old age, and its potential broader societal correlates. The current study investigates associations between the socio-political context and cortisol synchrony as observed in older couples' daily lives. 160 older German couples (M_age = 72 years, range: 56-89) provided salivary cortisol samples 7 times daily for a 7-day period. Socio-political context was quantified using state-specific voting data from the 2017 German federal election along the left-right political spectrum. Multilevel models controlling for diurnal cortisol rhythm, food intake, sex, age, body mass index, education, and individual-level political orientation revealed evidence for synchrony in partners' cortisol fluctuations (b = 0.03, p < .001). The extent of cortisol synchrony was moderated by left-right political context, such that older couples living in a federal state placed further right exhibited greater cortisol synchrony than couples living in a federal state placed further left (b = 0.01, p = .015). Findings point to the importance of considering the socio-political context of health-relevant biopsychosocial dynamics in old age. Future research needs to investigate mechanisms underlying such associations, including how politics shape opportunities and motivation for interdependencies that promote better or worse health.

Moving in Sync: Hourly Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior are Synchronized in Couples

BACKGROUND

Overall time spent in moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary behavior are both correlated in couples. Knowledge about the nature and psychosocial correlates of such dyadic covariation could inform important avenues for physical activity promotion.

PURPOSE

The present study investigates hour-by-hour covariation between partners (i.e., synchrony) in MVPA and sedentary behavior as partners engage in their daily lives and links it with person-level MVPA/sedentary behavior, temporal characteristics, and relationship variables.

METHODS

We used 7-day accelerometer data from two couple studies (Study 1, n = 306 couples, aged 18-80 years; Study 2, n = 108 couples, aged 60-87 years) to estimate dyadic covariation in hourly MVPA and sedentary behavior between partners. Data were analyzed using coordinated multilevel modeling.

RESULTS

In both studies, hourly MVPA and sedentary behavior exhibited similarly sized dyadic covariation between partners in the low-to-medium range of effects. Higher MVPA synchrony between partners was linked with higher individual weekly MVPA and higher individual weekly sedentary levels, whereas higher sedentary synchrony between partners was associated with higher individual weekly MVPA but lower individual weekly sedentary levels. MVPA and sedentary synchrony were higher in the morning and evening, more pronounced on weekends, and associated with more time spent together, longer relationship duration, and time-varying perceptions of higher partner closeness.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates that MVPA and sedentary behaviors do not occur in a social vacuum. Instead, they are linked with close others such as partners. Thus, capitalizing on social partners may increase the effectiveness of individual-level physical activity interventions.

Choosing Solitude: Age Differences in Situational and Affective Correlates of Solitude-Seeking in Midlife and Older Adulthood

OBJECTIVES

Despite a basic need for social connection, individuals across the adult lifespan sometimes seek solitude-a phenomenon that is not well understood. This study examined situational and affective correlates of solitude-seeking and how they may differ between middle-aged and older adults.

METHOD

One hundred community-dwelling adults aged 50-85 years (64% female, 56% East Asian, 36% European, 8% other) completed approximately 30 electronic daily life assessments over 10 days regarding their current location, affect, activities, and current and desired social context.

RESULTS

Solitude was common; 86% of solitude instances happened by individuals' own choosing. When desiring solitude, older adults were more likely to be at home and less likely to be outdoors, compared to other locations. Middle-aged adults showed no such solitude-location associations. Among middle-aged adults, desire for solitude was associated with decreased positive affect. Older adults experienced no such dip in affect.

DISCUSSION

Findings suggest that compared to middle-aged adults, older adults are more likely to go to locations that match their desired social context, and also that solitude-seeking has more positive ramifications for older adults. Findings are discussed in the context of age differences in activities, social preferences, and emotion regulation.

The More We Are in Control, the Merrier? Partner Perceived Control and Negative Affect in the Daily Lives of Older Couples

OBJECTIVES

It is well established that daily perceived control is closely associated with lower negative affect (NA) among older adults. However, it is an open question whether control perceptions of one's partner are also uniquely associated with one's own NA.

METHOD

To examine such associations in dyads of older long-term partners, we make use of data obtained 6 times a day over 7 consecutive days as participants went about their everyday lives (N = 87 couples; mean age = 75 years; mean relationship length = 46 years). Our multilevel actor-partner models for dyadic data analyses covary for relevant individual and couple differences in sociodemographic characteristics, self-reported physical health, and cognitive functioning.

RESULTS

Corroborating and extending earlier reports, results reveal that higher momentary perceived control was associated with lower NA. Most importantly, we found that higher momentary perceived control of the partner is additionally and uniquely associated with lower NA of the actor.

DISCUSSION

We discuss possible mechanisms and underlying pathways of how perceived control may help both partners downregulate their negative emotions in daily life. We close by considering conceptual and practical implications.

Future time perspective: Dimensions of opportunities, life, and time are differentially associated with physical health, cognitive functioning, and well-being in old age

Objective: The present study investigated the multidimensional nature of the future time perspective scale and dimension-specific associations with measures of physical health, cognitive functioning, and well-being.Method: Using data from the Berlin Aging Study II (N = 1,038, M age = 71 years, range = 61-88 years, 52% women), different models of future time perspective were compared using confirmatory factor analyses, and the best-fitting model was then used to explore dimension-specific associations with physical health, cognitive functioning, and well-being measures.Results: A model of future time perspective composed of a focus on opportunities, a focus on life, and a focus on time was found to have the best fit. An extended focus on opportunities was associated with stronger grip strength, more accurate memory, as well as higher life satisfaction and positive affect. An extended focus on time was associated with less accurate memory, lower negative affect, and greater life satisfaction. A focus on life was unrelated to study measures.Discussion: Findings suggest that future time perspective is multidimensional and that these dimensions are differentially associated with physical health, cognitive functioning, and well-being in old age.

Conscientiousness, Activity Engagement, and Momentary Affect in Oldest-Old Adulthood

OBJECTIVES

Remaining engaged with life is a hallmark of aging well and pursuing personally meaningful activities is presumably important for late-life affect. We examined how moment-to-moment variability in meaning and degree of challenge ascribed to daily activities relate to positive and negative affect in very old adults. Possible moderating effects of between-person differences in conscientiousness on meaning-affect associations were also examined.

METHODS

Participants were 73 adults aged 89 years on average from the Australian Daily Life Time-Sampling module of the Australian Longitudinal Study of Aging. Participants provided self-report data on activity engagement (meaning and challenge associated with activities) and affect, on 5 occasions per day for a period of 7 consecutive days.

RESULTS

Within-person associations of activity meaning with affect varied as a function of within-person challenge ratings. Specifically, gains in positive affect associated with meaningful activity were more strongly evident when activities were regarded as more challenging. In contrast, meaningful activity was associated with higher negative affect when activities were regarded as more challenging and lower negative affect when activities were regarded as less challenging. Conscientiousness did not moderate associations of activity meaning with affect.

DISCUSSION

Our findings shed light on the intricate interplay between maintaining meaningful engagement and daily emotional experiences in very old age. We discuss theoretical and practical implications and consider the role of late-life conscientiousness for self- and emotion regulation.

Moody and thin-skinned? The interplay of neuroticism and momentary affect in older romantic couples

Neuroticism is associated with heightened reactivity to social stressors. However, little is known about the micro-processes through which neuroticism shapes - and is shaped by - affective experiences in close relationships. We examine the extent to which momentary affect is coupled with one's relationship partner, whether the strength of this coupling differs depending on levels of neuroticism, and whether this coupling and partner's overall level of positive or negative affect prospectively contribute to differential (rank-order) changes in neuroticism. Older couples (N = 82, aged 67-93 years) rated their momentary affect six times per day for one week and provided ratings of trait neuroticism at baseline and 18 months later. Multilevel models revealed that among individuals high in neuroticism, individual positive affect was more closely coupled with partner positive affect compared with individuals low in neuroticism. Moreover, neuroticism decreased over time in those participants who showed a higher degree of coupling with partner positive affect and also had a partner with higher overall positive affect. In contrast, neuroticism increased in individuals whose partner had lower overall positive affect. Similar effects were not observed for negative affect. Our findings highlight how relationship partners contribute to daily affective experiences and longer-term changes in neuroticism.

Solitude in context: On the role of culture, immigration, and acculturation in the experience of time to oneself

Older adults spend much time in solitude (without social interaction), putting them at risk of loneliness, especially if aging outside their country of origin (e.g., Chinese immigrants to Canada). Yet, cultural contextual factors that may reduce loneliness in moments of solitude are poorly understood. This study sought to disentangle the roles of culture, immigration, and acculturation in solitude-loneliness associations across two countries. Community-dwelling adults aged 51-85 in Vancouver (N = 58 East Asian, N = 37 European/North American) and in Hong Kong (N = 56 East/Southeast Asian) completed approximately 30 ecological momentary assessments over 10 days on their current affect and social situations. Participants in Vancouver spent more time in solitude, desired solitude more, and felt less lonely overall than those in Hong Kong. Multilevel models revealed that moments of solitude felt lonelier than moments spent in social interaction, but only for individuals less acculturated to their host culture or not concurrently desiring solitude. Associations held regardless of host culture, cultural heritage, or immigration status. Findings suggest that solitude need not feel lonely if it happens by choice and if individuals feel connected with their host culture, for both immigrant older adults and those aging in their birth country.

SELF-ACCEPTANCE BUFFERS NEGATIVE SOLITUDE-PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LINKS IN OLD AGE

Loneliness is positively associated with a number of negative psychological and health outcomes. Solitude, a related yet distinct phenomenon, can have positive or negative ramifications depending on the context. As older adults spend significant time in solitude, there is particular need to investigate the effects of solitude on the health of this specific segment of the population. This study investigated everyday life associations between solitude and obstacles to physical activity as well as resources for overcoming these obstacles in order to determine whether and for whom solitude is negatively or positively associated with physical activity. Multilevel modelling was used to analyze data from 138 community-dwelling adults aged 65 years and older. Participants completed three daily questionnaires over a period of ten days concerning social context, activities and obstacles, as well as managing obstacles. Preliminary analyses using a subset of participants with complete data (N = 93) indicate that participants reported more physical activity obstacles when they were in solitude. This only applied to participants low in self-acceptance. Furthermore, self-acceptance was also positively associated with the extent to which individuals who had experienced an obstacle (N = 71) managed to overcome it. Further analyses will examine accelerometry-based movement information as well as the role of additional resources (e.g. living with others) and vulnerability factors (loneliness, anxiety).

CONSCIENTIOUSNESS, ACTIVITY ENGAGEMENT AND MOMENTARY AFFECT IN OLDEST-OLD ADULTHOOD

Participation in meaningful activities may be particularly important for late life well-being. We examined associations of moment to moment variability in meaningful activity engagement with positive and negative affect in the daily lives of oldest-old adults. Moderating effects of conscientiousness on meaning-affect associations were also examined considering recent theorising that late life declines in conscientiousness could reflect adaptive self-regulatory processes. Participants were 73 adults aged 84 and above from the Australian Longitudinal Study of Aging Daily Life Time-Sampling (ADuLTS) study, who provided self-report data on activity engagement (including ratings of meaning and degree of challenge associated with activities) and affect on five occasions per day over seven days. Within-person variability in meaningful activity engagement was associated with positive and negative affect; however, these associations were conditional upon the extent to which activities were rated as challenging. Specifically, positive affect tended to be lower on occasions when activities were rated as less meaningful, but also more challenging. Similarly, negative affect was rated as lower on occasions when activities were regarded as more meaningful, and at the same time less challenging. Participants who were higher in conscientiousness reported higher overall positive affect, and associations of higher conscientiousness with lower momentary negative affect were evident on occasions when activities were rated as more challenging. Engagement in meaningful activity is associated with higher positive, and lower negative affect in late life, with these associations dependent on the extent to which activities are challenging. Findings are discussed in the context of self-regulatory perspectives on adaptation.

LINKS BETWEEN PARTNER INTERACTIONS, EMPATHY, AND EVERYDAY PHYSIOLOGICAL SYNCHRONY IN OLDER COUPLES

Romantic partners exhibit dyadic covariation (synchrony) in physiological parameters. This study aims to link everyday cortisol synchrony to daily partner interactions and empathy. We conducted coordinated multilevel analysis using data from two independently collected samples of older couples (Study 1: N = 85 couples, aged 60-87 years; Study 2: N = 77 couples, aged 66-85 years) who completed questionnaires and provided salivary cortisol samples 5 to 7 times daily for 7 days. Cortisol levels were significantly correlated among partners in both studies. Cortisol synchrony was higher when partners were present (Study 1), and when partner interactions involved feeling understood and valued (Study 1) and seeking help or closeness (Study 2). Higher cortisol synchrony was further related to greater empathic accuracy (Study 1) and greater empathy (Study 2). Thus, social bonding processes and the ability to consider other’s thoughts and feelings may be intertwined with physiological synchrony in everyday life.

AGE, FUTURE TIME PERSPECTIVE, AND EVERYDAY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND NUTRITION IN COUPLES POST STROKE

Physical activity and fruit/vegetable consumption are recommended to help prevent and manage cardiovascular disease. Yet, most people struggle to meet physical activity and nutrition guidelines. This study examined the role of age and future time perspective for these two health behaviors using repeated daily life assessments as well as accelerometry-based step counts from 70 persons living with the effects of stroke and their partners (50% female, M age=69 years). Consistent with previous research, older age and living with stroke were associated with taking fewer steps in everyday life but also with consuming more fruit and vegetables. Furthermore, participants who viewed their future as being filled with many opportunities took more daily steps and ate more fruit and vegetables than participants low in future opportunities. Further analyses will examine dyadic associations in these two health behaviors as well as partner factors that may facilitate or hamper the engagement of the behaviors. It is important to analyze these relationships to gain further insight into the effects partners have on each other.

JOINT GOALS IN OLDER COUPLES: ASSOCIATIONS WITH GOAL PROGRESS AND RELATIONSHIP SATISFACTION

Goals often involve close others such as spouses, but we know little about how this helps or hinders goal progress and what couple consequences arise. To examine these questions, we investigate associations between joint goals, goal progress, and relationship satisfaction by applying multi-level modeling to data from 119 couples (50% female; Mage=71 years). Participants listed their most important goals and reported if they wanted to achieve these together with their partner (self-rated joint goals). 85% self-reported at least one joint goal. Two raters classified goals as “joint” if both partners mentioned the same goal. Positive illusions–i.e., older adults thinking a goal was joint although it was not reported by the spouse–were frequent. Number of joint goals was related to increased goal progress but only for those with low positive illusions, whereas positive illusions were linked to higher relationship satisfaction. We discuss theoretical and practical implications of our findings.

Technology, Physical Activity, Loneliness, and Cognitive Functioning in Old Age

Abstract. Information and communication technology (ICT) has the potential to benefit aging processes. This study examined portable ICT usage and associated changes in physical activity, loneliness, and cognitive functioning. Ninety-two mostly-novice tablet-users aged 51–85 years participated in technology workshops and then reported on their portable ICT use biweekly for 6+ months. Physical activity, loneliness, and executive functioning were assessed before and after this period. More frequent use of exercise functions was associated with more moderate-intensity physical activity and less sitting, controlling for pretracking levels. More frequent use of social functions was associated with more social loneliness and a tendency toward less emotional loneliness, controlling for pretracking levels of loneliness. The use of exercise and social functions showed no associations with executive functioning. Portable ICT thus may bring both risks and benefits for physical and social functioning in older adulthood.

Everyday solitude, affective experiences, and well-being in old age: the role of culture versus immigration

Objectives: Being alone is often equated with loneliness. Yet, recent findings suggest that the objective state of being alone (i.e. solitude) can have both positive and negative connotations. The present research aimed to examine (1) affective experience in daily solitude; and (2) the association between everyday affect in solitude and well-being. We examined the distinct roles of culture and immigration in moderating these associations. Method: Using up to 35 daily life assessments of momentary affect, solitude, and emotional well-being in two samples (Canada and China), the study compared older adults who aged in place (local Caucasians in Vancouver , Canada and local Hong Kong Chinese in Hong Kong, China) and older adults of different cultural heritages who immigrated to Canada (immigrated Caucasians and immigrated East Asians). Results: We found that older adults of East Asian heritage experienced more positive and less negative affect when alone than did Caucasians. Reporting positive affect in solitude was more positively associated with well-being in older adults who had immigrated to Canada as compared to those who had aged in place. Conclusions:These findings speak to the unique effects of culture and immigration on the affective correlates of solitude and their associations with well-being in old age.

Linked Lives: Exploring Gender and Sedentary Behaviors in Older Adult Couples

Objectives: We explored associations between co-habiting partners for sedentary behavior (type and time, via accelerometry and self-report), gender, and a surrogate health measure (inflammatory biomarker: C-reactive protein, CRP). Methods: Participants completed activity questionnaires and the Timed Up and Go (mobility), wore an accelerometer for 7 days, and provided samples for high-sensitivity (hs) CRP. We used multilevel modeling (partners within couples) to investigate associations between independent variables and (a) sedentary behavior and (b) hsCRP. Results: 112 couples (50% women) provided sedentary data and hsCRP. Sedentary behavior was significantly correlated (r = .440, p < .001) between women and men, but there were significant differences in sedentary time (women < men) and light activity (women > men). Gender, moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and mobility estimated 37% of the modeled variance in sedentary time, while body mass index (BMI) and MVPA estimated 10% of the modeled variance in hsCRP. Discussion: Despite differences in how activity was accumulated, there were no significant differences between women's and men's health biomarker.

Linked Lives: Dyadic Associations of Mastery Beliefs With Health (Behavior) and Health (Behavior) Change Among Older Partners

Objectives

Mastery beliefs are known to contribute to healthy aging. However, it is an open question whether individual mastery-health associations impact the health of close long-term partners.

Method

We applied actor-partner interdependence models to 4-wave, 6-year longitudinal dyadic data from married and cohabitating partners in the Health and Retirement Study (N = 1,981 partners; age at baseline: M = 67 years, SD = 8.93, range 50-94 years).

Results

Higher individual mastery beliefs were associated with better individual physical health and health behaviors. Higher mastery beliefs were associated with subsequent increases in light physical activity. Having a partner with higher levels of mastery was uniquely associated with fewer functional limitations, better self-rated health, and more physical activity. Actor × Partner interaction effects for functional limitations indicated multiplicative associations of actor and partner mastery with health. Of note, mastery-health associations for individuals and their partners were invariant across age, gender, education, employment status, perceived stress over one's own and partner's health, and cognition.

Discussion

Findings suggest that partner mastery beliefs matter for the health (behaviors) of older adults. We discuss possible mechanisms underlying partner interrelations in mastery and health, their age invariance, and consider implications arising from our results.

Social relationship quality buffers negative affective correlates of everyday solitude in an adult lifespan and an older adult sample

Aging takes place in a social context but older adults also spend a significant amount of their time alone. Solitude (the objective state of being alone and without social interaction) has been associated with negative experiences but also with specific benefits. We examine the importance of social relationships for time-varying associations between affective experiences and solitude. Using repeated daily life assessments from an adult life span sample (Study 1, N = 183, age: 20-81 years) and an older adult sample (Study 2, N = 97, age: 50-85 years), we examined the moderating role of social relationship quality on within-person solitude-affect associations. Data were analyzed using multilevel models controlling for gender, age, overall amount of time in solitude, retirement status, marital status, education, and current work activity. Higher relationship quality was associated with higher average affective well-being. Compared to being with others, participants reported lower levels of high-arousal positive affect (PA) during solitude in both studies. In Study 1, solitude was also associated with higher levels of low-arousal negative affect (NA) and higher levels of low-arousal PA compared to when with others. Across both studies, individuals with higher quality relationships reported lesser increases in low-arousal NA when in solitude, as compared to individuals with lower quality relationships. Findings highlight that solitude is experienced less negatively for individuals embedded in a context of higher quality social relationships. Thus, preservation and promotion of social resources in older adulthood may be important to ward off potential negative ramifications of spending a significant amount of time alone. (PsycINFO Database Record

Attributions for physical activity in very old adults: predicting everyday physical activity and mortality risk

OBJECTIVES

Although physical activity is recognised as a health-promoting behaviour for older adults, notable barriers exist that may reduce physical activity in this age group. Limited research has explored causal beliefs (attributions) as a barrier to physical activity. Our study assessed associations between older adults' attributions about physical activity and objective health outcomes.

METHODS

We examined the role of attributions as a predictor of everyday physical activity (EPA) and subsequent mortality risk over a 10-year period (2006-2016) in a sample of older adults (M_age = 87, N = 261).

RESULTS

OLS and Cox proportional hazard regression analyses revealed older adults who endorsed more internal and uncontrollable attributions for limited activity (physical incapacity) when feeling unwell had lower subsequent EPA (β = -0.18), and higher 10-year mortality risk (HR = 1.46). Other attributions with different dimensional properties (e.g. internal and controllable) were not associated with EPA or mortality.

DISCUSSION

Findings suggest that causal beliefs older adults have about their physical activity can influence their future behaviour and longevity. Psychological treatments designed to discourage maladaptive attributional thinking for older populations who face barriers to physical activity may be an important avenue for future research.