The DOI matches its Crossref record; 44 of the 45 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Social Support and Successful Aging: Investigating the Relationships Between Lifetime Cognitive Change and Life Satisfaction
Abstract
Abstract. Social networks or support may contribute to successful aging. The Lothian Birth Cohort 1921 had their mental ability assessed at age 11 and 79. Almost 500 participants also rated their life satisfaction, social networks, and support at age 80. After controlling for age-11 IQ, sex, years of education, and social class, loneliness was the only social network/support characteristic adding significantly to the prediction of age-79 IQ, explaining about 2% of the variance; in old age, increased loneliness was associated with lower cognitive ability. Social network/support factors accounted for 23% of the variance in satisfaction with life ratings, with the greatest contributions from reduced loneliness (~12%) and having someone to talk to (~6%). Social network/support characteristics explained a greater proportion of the variance in life satisfaction ratings compared with later life cognition, although an individual's level of loneliness emerged as the largest single social support predictor of both outcomes. Possible causal pathways for these associations, which need to be studied in future research, are discussed.
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In the citing paper
“Cross-sectional associations between greater loneliness and lower cognitive ability have been documented in several studies (Gilmour, 2011; Gow et al., 2013; Gow, Pattie, Whiteman, Whalley, & Deary, 2007)”
From Longitudinal Associations Between Loneliness and Cognitive Ability in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 (2019) · cites this paper as Gow, Pattie, Whiteman, Whalley, & Deary, 2007
In the citing paper
“cognitive impairments may hamper social interactions, prompt social withdrawal, and thus lead to loneliness.”
From Loneliness matters: a theoretical and empirical review of consequences and mechanisms (2010) · cites this paper as [27]
In the citing paper
“impaired cognitive performance and cognitive decline over time [27–29]”
From Loneliness matters: a theoretical and empirical review of consequences and mechanisms (2010) · cites this paper as [27]
In the citing paper
“Feelings of loneliness at age 79 predicted “lifetime cognitive change” as indicated by lower IQ at age 79 adjusting for IQ at age 11, living arrangements at age 11 and at age 79, sex, marital status, and ideal level of social support [27].”
From Loneliness matters: a theoretical and empirical review of consequences and mechanisms (2010) · cites this paper as [27]
In the citing paper
“Similarly, perceived isolation has been found to predict lifetime change in IQ36 and changes in depressive symptoms37,38 beyond what could be predicted by objective isolation.”
From Social isolation (2011) · cites this paper as [36]
In the citing paper
“Living alone in later life may increase the risk of poor cognitive function (Gow, Pattie, Whiteman, Whalley, & Deary, 2007;Gow, Corley, Starr, & Deary, 2013;van Gelder et al., 2006;Yaffe et al., 2009)”
From Living alone and cognitive function in later life (2019) · cites this paper as Gow et al., 2007
In the citing paper
“Individuals who live alone may have less frequent opportunity for social contact, may be more isolated (Carstensen, 1992;de Jong Gierveld & Havens, 2004;de Jong Gierveld, 2003;Kobayashi et al., 2009), and may feel more lonely (Newall et al., 2014;Victor et al., 2005) than those who live with others, which may result in reduced cognitive stimulation and lower cognitive reserve (Gow et al., 2007).”
From Living alone and cognitive function in later life (2019) · cites this paper as Gow et al., 2007
In the citing paper
“The present findings are inconsistent with one study that reports an association between living alone and cognitive function determined by a measure of IQ at baseline (Gow et al., 2007).”
From Living alone and cognitive function in later life (2019) · cites this paper as Gow et al., 2007
In the citing paper
“The measure of IQ used in Gow et al. (2007) assesses reasoning, arithmetic, following directions, and analogies.”
From Living alone and cognitive function in later life (2019) · cites this paper as Gow et al., 2007
In the citing paper
“The measure of IQ used in Gow et al. (2007) assesses different cognitive abilities to those assessed by the CAMCOG and other global measures of cognitive function”
From Living alone and cognitive function in later life (2019) · cites this paper as Gow et al., 2007
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Loneliness matters: a theoretical and empirical review of consequences and mechanisms
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“Feelings of loneliness at age 79 predicted “lifetime cognitive change” as indicated by lower IQ at age 79 adjusting for IQ at age 11, living arrangements at age 11 and at age 79, sex, marital status, and ideal level of social support [27].”
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Metadata
- Authors
- Gow, A. J., Pattie, A., Whiteman, M. C., Whalley, L. J., & Deary, I. J.
- Affiliations
- University of Edinburgh (GB)
- University of Aberdeen (GB)
- Venue
- Journal of Individual Differences
- Publisher
- Hogrefe Publishing Group
- Published
- 2007-07
- Volume
- 28
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 103-115
- ISSN
- 1614-0001 (ISSN-L)
- 2151-2299
- OpenAlex
- W2140961087
- Cited by
- 231
- References
- 45
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 10 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 8 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 23 · 2020: 17 · 2019: 14 · 2018: 14 · 2017: 17 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 16 · 2013: 10 · 2012: 12
- FWCI
- 7.76
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Individual Differences (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Aging and Gerontology Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Aging, Health, and Disability
- Social Sciences › Health › Health disparities and outcomes
- Keywords
- social support, successful aging, loneliness, social networks, life satisfaction, cognitive ability, Lothian Birth Cohort 1921, older adults, causal pathways
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