Biobehavioral Pathways Underlying Spousal Health Dynamics: Its Nature, Correlates, and Consequences

Abstract

Marriage is a very special relationship that has a high potential to influence physical and mental health throughout the adult lifespan and into old age. In this viewpoint, we propose a model that outlines plausible biobehavioral pathways that may underlie previously established spousal interrelations in long-term health trajectories and discuss specific resources that may facilitate favorable outcomes for everyone involved. Specifically, we focus on spousal associations in physical activity as an important health behavior and in stress-related processes as a key daily-life mechanism, which both reveal effects that may accumulate over time to impact longer-term health outcomes. We also consider spousal resources such as collaborative problem solving and joint goals as psychological variables that characterize the dynamics within a given marriage. We conclude by discussing areas in theory and research that are ripe for further consideration and lay out target questions for future inquiry.

Associations Among Individuals’ Perceptions of Future Time, Individual Resources, and Subjective Well-Being in Old Age

“…Our BASE and HRS findings linking subjective nearness to death and subjective life expectancy with several different facets of subjective well-being add to a growing body of research showing that older adults with extended rather than more limited future life expectancies report, on average, higher levels of subjective well-being (Allemand et al, 2012; Coudin & Lima, 2011; Demiray & Bluck, 2014; Kosik et al, in press; Yeung et al, 2007) which together paint a less favorable picture of older adults’ subjective well-being.…”

“…It thus makes sense that previous research in support of SST has primarily targeted social goals and preferences as central outcomes (Fredrickson & Carstensen, 1990; Fung et al, 1999; Lang & Carstensen, 2002) whereas – to our knowledge – only one study addressed future time-horizont-emotional wellbeing links directly (using age as a proxy; Carstensen et al, 2000; Carstensen et al, 2011). Research pointing to associations between expanded future time perceptions and high well-being in contrast, paid attention to other aspects of SST generally trying to incorporate information about perceptions about future time using the future time perspective scale (Allemand et al, 2012; Demiray & Bluck, 2014; Kosik et al, in press; Lang & Carstensen, 2002; Yeung, Fung, & Lang, 2007). The respective findings do not have to be seen as contradicting one another.…”

“…Specifically, it has been shown that open-ended rather than limited future time perceptions are associated with higher subjective well-being including emotional (positive affect, negative affect, happiness) as well as cognitive-evaluative aspects (life satisfaction) across different European, North American, and Asian samples (Allemand et al, 2012; Coudin & Lima, 2011; Demiray & Bluck, 2014; Kosik et al, in press; Kotter-Gruehn & Smith, 2011; Yeung, Fung, & Lang, 2007). …”

“…However, there is some controversy regarding the direction of this association, with some research suggesting that limited future time perceptions relate to higher subjective well-being (Carstensen, Mikels, & Mather, 2006), whereas others show the opposite (Allemand et. al., 2012; Demiray & Bluck, 2014; Kosik, Hoppmann, & Gerstorf, in press; Kotter-Gruehn & Smith, 2011). Such discrepant findings could be due to different operational definitions of future time perceptions, limited attention to individual differences in resources, or both (Carstensen et al, 2006; Cate & John, 2007; Charles, 2010; Kotter-Gruehn & Smith, 2011; Mirowsky, 1997; Zimbardo & Boyd, 1999).…”

Future Time Perspective: Opportunities and Limitations Are Differentially Associated with Subjective Well-Being and Hair Cortisol Concentration

“…Specifically, research documents that often in old age females take on the role of primary caregiver and thus may be especially concerned over not just their own personal limitations but also that of their partner's [39]. Given our findings that a focus on limitations is associated with hair cortisol, and a separate study showing that caregivers have greater hair cortisol concentration relative to non-caregivers, we believe a sex difference may be found [22].…”