Persistence in goal striving and positive reappraisal as psychosocial resources for ageing well: A dyadic analysis

Abstract

Objectives: Associations of both individuals’ and their spouses’ tendencies toward persistence in goal striving (an index of primary control) and positive reappraisal (an index of accommodation) with individuals’ characteristics of successful aging (physical and mental health, life satisfaction and social networks/engagement) were examined in midlife and older spousal dyads.

Method: One-hundred and twenty spousal dyads (240 individuals) completed a mail-out questionnaire concerned with psychosocial correlates of mental health and well-being in older adulthood.

Results: Results indicated that 40–60% of the variance in successful aging outcomes occurred between dyads. Individuals’ tendencies toward positive reappraisal were positively related to physical and mental health and life satisfaction. Positive reappraisal was also related to more extensive social networks with friends and greater social engagement, but only among younger participants. Individuals’ persistence in goal striving was associated with better mental health but was not related to the other indices of aging well, while spouses’ goal persistence and reappraisal tendencies were not related to individuals’ aging well outcomes.

Conclusion: The findings indicate a substantial degree of interdependence among spouses in the extent to which they are ageing well, and highlight the adaptive value of positive reappraisal as a coping strategy used in response to loss of primary control in later life.

Keywords:

• successful aging
• dyads
• primary control
• secondary control

Acknowledgement

Funding for the project was provided by an Australian Association of Gerontology R.M. Gibson award. Tim Windsor is supported by Australian National Health and Medical Research Council Capacity Building Grant in Population Health Research No. 418020. I thank Chun Chen, Nina Lucas, Kaarin Anstey, Peter Butterworth, Ron Chapman, Margaret Chapman and the study participants for their contribution to the project.