Conflict and collaboration in middle-aged and older couples: I. Age differences in agency and communion during marital interaction.

Aging effects on heart rate and atrioventricular (AV) conduction were studied in Langendorff-perfused hearts from 18 mature (4-6 mo), 12 middle-aged (12-14 mo), and 18 senescent (24-26 mo) Fischer 344 rats. Heart rate decreased with increasing age from 218 +/- 18 in mature to 196 +/- 27 (mean +/- SD) beats/min in middle-aged rats to 183 +/- 22 beats/min in senescent rats (analysis of variance, P less than 0.001). Spontaneous AV conduction time increased from 43 +/- 7 to 49 +/- 5 to 62 +/- 9 ms with aging (P less than 0.0001). Paced AV conduction time also lengthened with aging, and AV Wenckebach block cycle length increased from 122 +/- 10 to 133 +/- 9 to 152 +/- 16 ms (P less than 0.005). Intra-atrial conduction time was unaffected by age. Age differences in heart rate and AV conduction responses to isoproterenol (0.5 x 10(-9) to 1 x 10(-7) M) were noted with greater sensitivity at lower doses in hearts from younger rats. In separate experiments, 18 mature and 19 senescent Fischer 344 rats received reserpine (0.25 mg.kg-1.day-1 ip) for 6 days before study. Age differences in heart rate and AV conduction persisted (P less than 0.0001). Histopathological examination of AV nodal and His-bundle tissues in three hearts from each age group showed increased intercellular collagen with advancing age.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

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Discordant Chronic Conditions and Depressive Symptoms: Longitudinal Associations Among Middle-Aged and Older Couples

The Journals of Gerontology Series B ◽

10.1093/geronb/gbz137 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Courtney A Polenick ◽

Kira S Birditt ◽

Angela Turkelson ◽

Benjamin C Bugajski ◽

Helen C Kales

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Marital Quality ◽

Chronic Conditions ◽

Later Life ◽

Well Being ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Older Couples ◽

Individual Level ◽

The Individual ◽

Over Time

Abstract Objectives Individuals often manage chronic conditions in middle and later life that may diminish well-being. Little is known, however, about discordant conditions (i.e., two or more conditions with competing self-management requirements) among older couples and their links to depressive symptoms. We considered discordant conditions at both the individual level and the couple level (i.e., between spouses), along with their long-term implications for depressive symptoms. Methods The U.S. sample included 1,116 middle-aged and older couples drawn from five waves (2006–2014) of the Health and Retirement Study. Longitudinal actor-partner interdependence models evaluated whether individual-level and couple-level discordant chronic health conditions were concurrently linked to depressive symptoms, and whether these associations became stronger over time. Models controlled for age, minority status, education, prior wave depressive symptoms, and each partner’s baseline report of negative marital quality and number of chronic conditions in each wave. Results Wives and husbands reported significantly greater depressive symptoms when they had individual-level discordant conditions about 2 years after baseline, and these links intensified over time. Beyond this association, husbands had significantly greater depressive symptoms when there were couple-level discordant conditions. Discussion Individual-level and couple-level discordant conditions may have lasting implications for depressive symptoms during midlife and older adulthood.

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My Problems Are Solvable: Idiographic Methods Offset Age Differences in Interpersonal Problem Solving Among Young, Middle-Aged, and Older Adults

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00276 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 ◽

Author(s):

Daniele Artistico ◽

Daniel Cervone ◽

Carolina Montes Garcia

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Problem Solving ◽

Age Differences ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Interpersonal Problem ◽

Interpersonal Problem Solving ◽

Idiographic Methods

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Gender and Age Differences in Lifestyle Factors Related to Hypertension in Middle-Aged Civil Service Employees.

Journal of Epidemiology ◽

10.2188/jea.13.38 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 38-47 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Yoko Hori ◽

Hideaki Toyoshima ◽

Takaaki Kondo ◽

Koji Tamakoshi ◽

Hiroshi Yatsuya ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Age Differences ◽

Civil Service ◽

Lifestyle Factors ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Service Employees ◽

Gender And Age ◽

Gender And Age Differences ◽

Civil Service Employees

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Age differences in supportive reactions toward a person in need: A quasi-experimental study

International Journal of Behavioral Development ◽

10.1080/01650250244000308 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 27 (3) ◽

pp. 232-242 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Peter Aymanns ◽

Sigrun-Heide Filipp ◽

Markus Winkeler

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Age Differences ◽

Social Cognitive ◽

Experimental Studies ◽

Severe Illness ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Support Providers ◽

Clear Cut ◽

Situational Contexts ◽

Quasi Experimental

Age differences in social support have been studied almost exclusively with regard to the older adults’ role as support recipients, whereas the influence of support providers’ age has not received much attention. A few experimental studies indicate that the willingness to help others (e.g., by giving donations) increases with age. However, studies are lacking which extend these findings to less clear-cut situational contexts, for example, to supporting victims of a critical life event and which, in addition, systematically investigate social cognitive and affective reactions as mediators of age differences. Using a quasi-experimental design, N 1/4 452 older vs. middle-aged participants (61 to 78 vs. 34 to 52 years old, respectively) read fictitious scenarios describing a protagonist who asked for support in dealing with the diagnosis of a severe illness. Protagonist’s age was varied between participants (70 vs. 40 years). Independent of protagonist’s age, older participants (compared to middle-aged) were more willing to provide emotion-focused support, but were less willing to discuss the illness in detail (problem-focused support), and they showed a higher tendency to withdraw and to distance themselves from the protagonist. Age differences in emotion-focused support were mediated by the older adults’ higher self-ascribed competence in providing support.

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Age differences in hostility among middle-aged and older adults.

Psychology and Aging ◽

10.1037/0882-7974.8.1.3 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 3-9 ◽

Cited By ~ 43

Author(s):

John C. Barefoot ◽

Jean C. Beckham ◽

Thomas L. Haney ◽

Ilene C. Siegler ◽

Isaac M. Lipkus

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Age Differences ◽

Middle Aged

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Age Differences in Positive Event Appraisals during COVID-19: Evidence from a Daily Diary Study

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igab046.3203 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 888-888

Author(s):

Patrick Klaiber ◽

Lydia Ong ◽

Anita DeLongis ◽

Nancy Sin

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Age Differences ◽

Adult Development ◽

Personal Responsibility ◽

Community Dwelling ◽

Diary Study ◽

Middle Aged ◽

Positive Events ◽

Daily Diary Study ◽

Middle Aged Adults

Abstract Multiple studies suggest that community-dwelling older adults are psychologically resilient in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Notably, during the initial weeks of the COVID-19 outbreak, older age was associated with engaging in more daily positive events (Klaiber et al., 2021, Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences). We followed up on these findings by exploring age differences in positive event appraisals during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the 7-day diary study conducted between March and August 2020, 1036 participants (mean age = 45.95, SD = 16.04, range = 18-91) reported their positive events in nightly surveys. If at least one positive event occurred, participants rated their appraisals of the event on the following dimensions: importance, calmness, happiness, gratitude, personal responsibility, and control. Older adults (60 years+) rated their positive events to be more personally important and felt more calm and happy during these events, compared to younger (18-39 years) and middle-aged adults (40-59 years). Furthermore, older adults felt more grateful during positive events compared to younger but not middle-aged adults. There were no age differences in feelings of control or personal responsibility for positive events. These findings highlight the importance of daily positive events for older adults during a time of major stress. In line with theories on adult development, daily positive event processes in older adults are characterized by valuing positive and meaningful social connections, as well as a greater degree of positive event-specific emotions such as feeling calm, happy, and grateful.

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