Fluid cognitive ability is associated with greater exposure and smaller reactions to daily stressors.
The authors of this study investigated whether fluid cognitive ability predicts exposure and emotional reactivity to daily stressors. A national sample of adults from the Midlife in the United States study and the National Study of Daily Experiences (N = 1,202) who had a mean age of 57 years (SD = 12; 56% women, 44% men) completed positive and negative mood reports as well as a stressor diary on 8 consecutive evenings via telephone. Participants also completed a telephone-based battery of tests measuring fluid cognitive ability. Higher levels of fluid cognitive ability were associated with greater exposure to work- and home-related overload stressors. Possessing higher levels of fluid cognitive ability was associated with smaller stressor-related increases in negative mood, primarily for interpersonal tensions and network stressors, and smaller stressor-related decreases in positive mood for interpersonal tensions. Furthermore, fluid cognitive ability was unrelated to subjective severity ratings of the stressors reported. Discussion focuses on the role of fluid cognitive ability in daily stress processes.
Stawski
Robert S
RS
Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Pennsylvania State University.
Almeida
David M
DM
Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Pennsylvania State University.
Lachman
Margie E
ME
Department of Psychology, Brandeis University.
Tun
Patricia A
PA
Department of Psychology, Brandeis University.
Rosnick
Christopher B
CB
Department of Psychology, Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville.
D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D000368:Aged; D001076:Aptitude; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics; D012737:Sex Factors; D012931:Social Environment; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology*; D016526:Workload / Q000523:psychology