Purpose in life and cognitive functioning in adulthood.
With an increasingly aging population, more work is needed to identify factors which may promote the maintenance of normal cognitive functioning. The current study tested the concurrent association between sense of purpose in life and the cognitive variables of episodic memory, executive functioning, and composite cognitive functioning in adults (N = 3489, Mage= 56.3 years, SD = 12.27, Range = 32-84 years) from the Midlife in the United States study (MIDUS). Correlational analyses suggested that purpose in life was associated with higher scores for memory, executive functioning, and overall cognition. Bootstrapping tests of moderation found no evidence for a moderating effect of age on purpose and the cognitive variables. Future studies should attempt to explain the mechanisms behind this relationship and explore the potential for interventions to promote healthy cognitive and purposeful aging.
a Department of Psychology , Carleton University , Ottawa , ON , Canada.
Nathan A
NA
Lewis
b Department of Psychology , West Virginia University , Morgantown , WV , USA.
Nicholas A
NA
Turiano
c Department of Psychology and the Beckman Institute , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana , IL , USA.
Brennan R
BR
Payne
a Department of Psychology , Carleton University , Ottawa , ON , Canada.
Patrick L
PL
Hill
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012647:Self-Assessment; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D026712:Value of Life
Purpose in life; adulthood; cognitive functioning; episodic memory; executive function