Recent research found that improving marital satisfaction is associated with better cognitive functioning in older adults. However, the link between declining marital satisfaction and worsening cognitive function was even stronger. This was much more pronounced in older adults than in middle-aged adults. The paper was published in the Journal of Marriage and Family.
Cognitive function refers to a range of mental abilities, including thinking, reasoning, memory, attention, and perception. These functions enable individuals to process incoming information, store and retrieve it when needed, and apply it effectively in decision-making processes. Cognitive abilities are influenced by various factors such as age, genetics, education, and overall health.
They can also be impacted by neurological disorders or injuries. As children grow, their cognitive function improves rapidly, peaking in their 20s and early 30s. In old age, cognitive function can decline naturally, but studies indicate that activities that engage the mind can create a cognitive reserve that may help maintain cognitive function into advanced years.
Cognitive function is also a critical indicator of an individual’s well-being. Studies indicate that marital quality is one of the crucial determinants of cognitive functioning, particularly in older adults. Marriage is a social institution whose effects permeate all facets of an individual’s social life. It directly affects emotional and psychological outcomes, influences a person’s behaviors and lifestyle, and reshapes the broader social context in which individuals function. Multiple studies have highlighted profound links between the qualities and characteristics of marriage and cognitive function.
Study authors Jinho Kim and Sungsik Hwang wanted to better explore the links between marital satisfaction and cognitive function, particularly in older adults in South Korea. These researchers note that marriage holds profound societal and cultural significance in Korea. Korean Confucian traditions emphasize family unity. Because of this, marriage is considered a key aspect of adulthood and an important achievement in a person’s social life. In such a context, an individual’s marital status affects their social standing, sense of identity, and perceived role within their community.
The researchers analyzed data from the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging 2006-2018, a longitudinal study on a nationally representative sample of adults aged 45 and older in South Korea. It consists of surveys conducted every two years that collect information on socioeconomic status, mental health, physical health, and various other characteristics. This study used data spanning 12 years, from 2006 to 2018.
Data came from 7,407 respondents. Only individuals who were married were included in this analysis. The study authors also excluded data from participants who showed signs of dementia at the time of the surveys and whose data were incomplete. They also considered the possibility that improving and declining marital satisfaction might not have equally strong associations with cognitive function, so they accounted for that possibility in their analyses. Forty-eight percent of the participants were female, and their average age was 59 years.
In their analysis, the researchers used data on cognitive function (the K-MMSE, a brief questionnaire designed to assess cognitive function), marital satisfaction and its change between surveys (“In general, how satisfied are you with your marriage?”), and various sociodemographic data. They calculated how marital satisfaction changed between two surveys (conducted every two years) and from this concluded whether the marital satisfaction of each participant was improving or declining.
Results showed that 25-35% of participants in each survey expressed the same level of satisfaction with their marriage as in the previous survey. Between 29% and 36% expressed an improvement, and between 28% and 45% expressed a decline in marital satisfaction.
Individuals more satisfied with their marriage tended to have better cognitive function. When the change in marital satisfaction between surveys was considered, results showed that the association between declining marital satisfaction and worsened cognitive function is much stronger than the association between improving marital satisfaction and improved cognitive function. The link between decreasing marital satisfaction and worsened cognitive functioning was almost entirely caused by older adults, with the association being very weak in middle-aged participants.
“Findings suggest that the negative impact of declining marital satisfaction on cognitive function outweighs the positive effects of improving marital satisfaction, especially among older adults. Reducing marital dissatisfaction and fostering healthy marital relationships are crucial strategies to promote the cognitive well-being of older adults,” the study authors concluded.
The study sheds light on the links between cognitive function and marital satisfaction. However, it should be noted that study participants were exclusively from South Korea. Results in people from other cultures might not be equal.
The paper, “The asymmetric effects of improving and declining marital satisfaction on cognitive function,” was authored by Jinho Kim and Sungsik Hwang
