Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-4rdpn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-04T19:13:19.816Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Personality, Cognitive Adaptation, and Marital Satisfaction as Predictors of Well-Being among Older Married Adults

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 March 2010

Norm O'Rourke
Norm O'Rourke*
Affiliation:
Simon Fraser Universityat Harbour Centre
*
Requests for offprints should be sent to: / Les demandes de tirés-à-part doivent être adressées à : Norm O'Rourke, Ph.D., R.Psych., Department of Gerontology, Simon Fraser University at Harbour Centre, 515 West Hastings Street, Suite #2800, Vancouver, BC V6B 5K3. ([email protected])
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The current study examines constructs that contribute to the well-being of an international sample of older married adults. A convenience sample of 208 participants was recruited through an Internet site as well as more traditional means such as newspaper advertisements and contact with community groups. The resulting structural equation model provides further support for the revised theory of cognitive adaptation. Within this model, the direct and indirect contributions of personality, marital satisfaction, and cognitive adaptation are examined in relation to well-being. Contrary to previous findings, personality appears to have an indirect effect upon both marital satisfaction and well-being. Cognitive adaptation, in contrast, has both a direct and indirect effect upon the well-being of older adults. Limitations of use of the Internet as a vehicle for data collection are considered as well as directions for future study.

Résumé

La présente étude porte sur les divers concepts qui ont contribué au bien-être d'un échantillon international de personnes mariées du troisième âge. Un échantillon de commodité constitué de 208 participants a été recruté au moyen d'un site Internet ainsi que de méthodes plus traditionnelles comme des annonces dans les journaux et des contacts avec des groupes communautaires. Le modèle d'équation structurelle obtenu tend à appuyer davantage la version révisée de la théorie de l'adaptation cognitive. Dans le cadre de ce modèle, la contribution directe et indirecte de la personnalité, de la satisfaction à l'égard du mariage et de l'adaptation cognitive est étudiée en regard du bien-être. Contrairement aux résultats de recherches antérieures, la personnalité semble avoir un effet indirect sur la satisfaction à l'égard du mariage et sur le bien-être. L'adaptation cognitive, par contre, a un effet direct et indirect sur le bien-être des personnes âgées. L'étude aborde les contraintes liées à l'utilisation d'Internet, à titre de moyen pour la cueillette de données, et fournit des orientations pour des recherches ultérieures.

Keywords

cognitive adaptationmarital satisfactionpersonalitywell-beingagingadaptation cognitivesatisfaction à l'égard du mariagepersonnalité, bien-être
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 24 , Issue 3 , Fall/Automne 2005 , pp. 211 - 224
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 2005

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abramson, L.Y., Seligman, M.E.P., & Teasdale, J. (1978). Learned helplessness in humans: Critique and reformulation. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 87, 49–74.Google Scholar
Alloy, L.B., & Abramson, L.Y. (1988). Depressive realism: Four theoretical perspectives. In Alloy, L.B. (Ed.), Cognitive processes in depression (pp. 223–265). New York: Guilford.Google Scholar
Andrews, F.M., & Robinson, J.P. (1991). Measures of subjective well-being. In Robinson, J.P., Shaver, P.R., & Wrightsman, L.S. (Eds.), Measures of personality and social psychological attitudes (pp. 61–114). San Diego: Academic.Google Scholar
Arbuckle, J.L. (1999). AMOS Graph (Version 4.01) [Computer software]. Chicago: SmallWaters.Google Scholar
Bentler, P.M. (1990). Comparative fit indexes in structural models. Psychological Bulletin, 107, 238–246.Google Scholar
Bradburn, N.M. (1969). The structure of psychological well-being. Chicago: Aldine.Google Scholar
Broderick, J., & O'Leary, K.D. (1986). Contribution of affect, attitudes, and behavior to marital satisfaction. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 54, 514–517.Google Scholar
Burman, B., & Margolin, G. (1992). Analysis of the association between marital relationships and health problems: An interactional perspective. Psychological Bulletin, 112, 39–63.Google Scholar
Byrne, B.M. (1998). Structural equation modeling with LISREL, PRELIS, and SIMPLIS: Basic concepts, applications, and programming. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.Google Scholar
Cacioppo, J.T., Gardner, W.L., & Bernstrom, G.G. (1999). The affect system has parallel and integrative processing components: Form follows function. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 76, 839–855.Google Scholar
Canadian Study of Health and Aging Working Group (1994). Canadian Study of Health and Aging: Study methods and prevalence of dementia. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 150, 899–913.Google Scholar
Cohen, S., & Wills, T.A. (1985). Stress, social support, and the buffering hypothesis. Psychological Bulletin, 98, 310–357.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Costa, P.T., & McCrae, R.R. (1985). Hypochondriasis, neuroticism, and aging: When are somatic complaints unfounded? American Psychologist, 40, 19–28.Google Scholar
Costa, P.T., & McCrae, R.R. (1992). Professional manual: Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO PI-R) and NEO Five-Factor Inventory. Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources.Google Scholar
Coyne, J.C., & Delongis, A. (1986). Going beyond social support: The role of social relationships in adaptation. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 54, 454–460.Google Scholar
Diener, E. (2000). Subjective well-being: The science of happiness and a proposal for a national index. American Psychologist, 55, 34–43.Google Scholar
Diener, E., Emmons, R.A., Larsen, R.J., & Griffin, S. (1985). The Satisfaction with Life Scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49, 71–75.Google Scholar
Fowers, B.J., Applegate, B., Olson, D.H., & Pomerantz, B. (1994). Marital conventionalization as a measure of marital satisfaction: A confirmatory factor analysis. Journal of Family Psychology, 8, 98–103.Google Scholar
Goffin, R.D. (1993). A comparison of two new indices for the assessment of fit of structural equation models. Multivariate Behavioral Research, 28, 205–214.Google Scholar
Gosling, S.D., Vazire, S., Srivastava, S., & John, O.P. (2004). Should we trust Web-based studies? A comparative analysis of six preconceptions about Internet questionnaires. American Psychologist, 59, 93–104.Google Scholar
Helgeson, V.S., & Taylor, S.E. (1993). Social comparison and adjustment among cardiac patients. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 23, 1171–1195.Google Scholar
Hu, L.T., & Bentler, P.M. (1999). Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: Conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Structural Equation Modeling, 6, 1–55.Google Scholar
Jahoda, M. (1958). Current concepts of positive mental health. New York: Basic Books.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
James, S., & Hunsley, J. (1995). The Marital Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale III: Is the relation with marital adjustment linear or curvilinear? Journal of Family Psychology, 9, 458–462.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Juni, S. (1995). Review of the Revised NEO Personality Inventory. In Murphy, L.L., Conoley, J.C., & Impara, J.C. (Eds.), Twelfth mental measurements yearbook (pp. 863–868). Lincoln, NB: University of Nebraska Press.Google Scholar
Kemeny, M.E. (1994). Stressful events, psychological responses, and progression of HIV infection. In Glaser, R. & Kiecolt-Glaser, J. (Eds.), Handbook of human stress and immunity (pp. 245–266). New York: Academic.Google Scholar
Kivelä, S.L., & Pahkala, K. (2001). Depressive disorder as a predictor of physical disability in old age. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 49, 290–296.Google Scholar
Larsen, R.J. (1992). Neuroticism and selective encoding and recall of symptoms: Evidence from a combined concurrent-retrospective study. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 62, 480–488.Google Scholar
MacCallum, R.C., Browne, M.W., & Sugawara, H.M. (1996). Power analysis and determination of sample size for covariance structure modeling. Psychological Methods, 2, 130–149.Google Scholar
McDowell, I., & Newell, C. (1996). Measuring health: A guide to rating scales and questionnaires (2nd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Mossey, J.M., & Shapiro, E. (1982). Self-rated health: A predictor of mortality among the elderly. American Journal of Public Health, 72, 800–808.Google Scholar
Murray, S.L., Holmes, J.G., & Griffin, D.W. (1996). The benefits of positive illusions: Idealization and the construction of satisfaction in close relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 70, 79–98.Google Scholar
O'Leary, K.D., Fincham, F., & Turkewitz, H. (1983). Assessment of positive feelings toward spouse. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 51, 949–951.Google Scholar
Olson, D.H., & Portner, J. (1983). Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales. In Filsinger, E.E. (Ed.), Family and marriage assessment: A sourcebook for family therapy (pp. 299–315). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Olson, D.H., Portner, J., & Bell, R. (1983). FACES II: Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluations Scales. Unpublished manuscript, Family Social Science, University of Minnesota.Google Scholar
O'Rourke, N. (2002a). Predictors of change in marital aggrandizement among older adults. Journal of the Aging Family System, 2, 75–85.Google Scholar
O'Rourke, N. (2002b). A social cognitive model of well-being among older adults. Constructivism in the Human Sciences, 7, 65–80.Google Scholar
O'Rourke, N. (2004). Cognitive adaptation and women's adjustment to conjugal bereavement. Journal of Women and Aging, 16, 87–104.Google Scholar
O'Rourke, N., & Cappeliez, P. (2000, June) Positive and negative affect as opposing or distinct constructs. Poster session presented at the annual meeting of the Canadian Psychological Association, Ottawa.Google Scholar
O'Rourke, N., & Cappeliez, P. (2001). Marital satisfaction and marital aggrandizement among older adults: Analysis of gender invariance. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 34, 66–79.Google Scholar
O'Rourke, N., & Cappeliez, P. (2002). Development and validation of a couples measure of biased responding: The Marital Aggrandizement Scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 78, 301–320.Google Scholar
O'Rourke, N., & Cappeliez, P. (2005). Marital satisfaction and self-deception: Reconstruction of relationship histories by older adults. Social Behavior and Personality, 33, 273–282.Google Scholar
O'Rourke, N., Chaudhury, H., & Danziger, S. (2004, July) Memory, emotion, and selective recall by older married adults. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, Honolulu.Google Scholar
O'Rourke, N., & Emery, P.C. (2001, August) Factor structure of the Dyadic Adjustment Scale among older adults. Poster session presented at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association, San Francisco.Google Scholar
O'Rourke, N., Hatcher, L., & Stepanski, E.J. (2005). A step-by-step approach to using SAS for univariate and multivariate statistics (2nd ed.). New York: John Wiley & Sons.Google Scholar
O'Rourke, N., & Tuokko, H. (2000). The psychological and physical costs of caregiving: The Canadian Study of Health and Aging. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 19, 389–404.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
O'Rourke, N., & Wenaus, C.A. (1998). Marital aggrandizement as a mediator of burden among spouse of suspected dementia patients. Canadian Journal on Aging, 17, 384–400.Google Scholar
Paulhus, D.L. (1983). Sphere-specific measures of perceived control. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 44, 1253–1265.Google Scholar
Paulhus, D.L. (1991). Measurement and control of response bias. In Robinson, J.P., Shaver, P.R., & Wrightsman, L.S. (Eds.), Measures of personality and social psychological attitudes (pp. 17–59). San Diego: Academic.Google Scholar
Paulhus, D.L. (1994). Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding: Reference manual for BIDR Version 6. Unpublished manuscript, Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia.Google Scholar
Paulhus, D.L., & Van Selst, M. (1990). The Spheres of Control Scale: 10 years of research. Journal of Personality and Individual Differences, 11, 1029–1036.Google Scholar
Pavot, W., & Diener, E. (1993a). The affective and cognitive context of self-reported measures of subjective well-being. Social Indicators Research, 28, 4–20.Google Scholar
Pavot, W., & Diener, E. (1993b). Review of the Satisfaction with Life Scale. Psychological Assessment, 5, 164–172.Google Scholar
Pavot, W.G., Diener, E., Colvin, C.R., & Sandvik, E. (1991). Further validation of the Satisfaction with Life Scale: Evidence for the cross-method convergence of well-being measures. Journal of Personality Assessment, 57, 149–161.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Reich, J.W., & Zautra, A.J. (1991). Experimental and measurement approaches to internal control in at-risk older adults. Journal of Social Issues, 47, 143–158.Google Scholar
Rook, K.S. (1990). Parallels in the study of social support and social strain. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 9, 118–132.Google Scholar
Scheier, M.F., Carver, C.S., & Bridges, M.W. (1994). Distinguishing optimism from neuroticism (and trait anxiety, self-mastery, and self-esteem): A re-evaluation of the Life Orientation Test. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 67, 1063–1078.Google Scholar
Schoenfeld, D.E., Malmrose, L.C., Blazer, D.G., Gold, D.T., & Seeman, T.E. (1994). Self-rated health and mortality in the high-functioning elderly: A closer look at healthy individuals; MacArthur Field Study of Successful Aging. Journal of Gerontology, 49, M109–M115.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Segerstrom, S.C., Taylor, S.E., Kemeny, M.E., & Fahey, J.L. (1998). Optimism is associated with mood, coping, and immune change in response to stress. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74, 1646–1655.Google Scholar
Smith, T.W., Pope, M.K., Rhodewalt, F., & Poulton, J.L. (1989). Optimism, neuroticism, coping and symptoms reports: An alternative interpretation of the Life Orientation Test. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 56, 640–648.Google Scholar
Spanier, G.B. (1976). Measuring dyadic adjustment: New scales for assessing the quality of marriage and similar dyads. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 38, 15–28.Google Scholar
Stuart, R.B. (1992). Review of the Dyadic Adjustment Scale. In Murphy, L.L., Kramer, J.J., & Conoley, J.C. (Eds.), Eleventh mental measurements yearbook (pp. 297–298). Lincoln, NB: University of Nebraska Press.Google Scholar
Swanson, G.M., Belle, S.H., & Santarino, W.A. (1985). Marital status and cancer incidence: Differences in the black and white populations. Cancer Research, 45, 5883–5889.Google Scholar
Taylor, S.E. (1989). Positive illusions: Creative self-deception and the healthy mind. New York: Basic Books.Google Scholar
Taylor, S.E., Kemeny, M.E., Reed, G.M., Bower, J.E., & Gruenewald, T.L. (2000). Psychological resources, positive illusions, and health. American Psychologist, 55, 99–109.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Taylor, S.E., Lichtman, R.R., & Wood, J.V. (1984). Attributions, beliefs about control, and adjustment to breast cancer. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 46, 489–502.Google Scholar
Thoits, P.A. (1986). Multiple identities: Examining gender and marital status differences in distress. American Sociological Review, 51, 259–272.Google Scholar
Ullman, J.B. (2001). Structural equation modeling. In Tabachnick, B.G. & Fidell, L.S. (Eds.), Using multivariate statistics (4th ed., pp. 653–711). New York: HarperCollins.Google Scholar
Verbrugge, L.M. (1979). Marital status and health. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 41, 267–285.Google Scholar
Wallace, K.A., & Wheeler, A.J. (2002). Reliability generalization of the Life Satisfaction Index. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 62, 674–684.Google Scholar
Watson, D., Hubbard, B., & Wiese, D. (2000). General traits of personality and affectivity as predictors of satisfaction in intimate relationships: Evidence from self- and partner-ratings. Journal of Personality, 68, 413–449.Google Scholar