title: Group Ties Protect Cognitive Health by Promoting Social Identification and Social Support.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Social relationships are protective of cognitive health as we age and recent findings show that social group ties (e.g., with community and peer groups) are especially important. The present research examines this relationship further to explore (a) the contribution of group, relative to interpersonal, ties and (b) underlying mechanism.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two cross-sectional survey studies were conducted. Study 1 was conducted online (N = 200) and Study 2 involved face-to-face interviews (N = 42).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The findings confirmed group ties as a stronger predictor of cognitive health than individual ties. It also supported our proposed sequential mediation model suggesting that the benefits of group ties arise from their capacity to enhance a sense of shared social identification and this, in turn, provides the basis for effective social support.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both studies provided evidence consistent with claims that group ties were especially beneficial because they cultivated social identification that provided the foundation for social support.
authors.affiliation: University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia c.haslam@uq.edu.au.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Haslam
authors.affiliation: University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: Tegan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cruwys
authors.affiliation: University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: Matilda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Milne
authors.affiliation: University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: Chi-Hsin
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Kan
authors.affiliation: University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: S Alexander
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Haslam
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D066270:Social Capital; D012933:Social Identification; D012944:Social Support
keywords: cognitive function; social group ties; social identity; social support