Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada.
Gerontology. 2011;57(2):144-7. doi: 10.1159/000320324. Epub 2010 Aug 20.
Lifespan development and aging do not take place in a vacuum. It is increasingly recognized that others, who may be very familiar such as marital partners, often play a key role in shaping the developmental trajectories of their spouses. Further, this shaping seems at least partially dependent on the prolonged interactions that result in a high level of familiarity that is conducive to affecting the feelings, actions and reactions of the other member of the dyad. The studies comprising this special series on dyadic relationships tackle a number of specific mechanisms by targeting 2 domains of functioning that are central to successful aging, namely aspects of cognitive functioning and subjective well-being. The 4 papers adopt a range of methodologies, from an experimental session to short- and longer-term longitudinal observational studies. The authors of these articles offer novel insights into the theoretical underpinnings of spousal interrelations as well as how to approach such issues analytically. The closing discussion article draws out some of the underlying themes and highlights the important promises, but also the distinct challenges, of research on couples and dyads. Key avenues for future research are outlined, especially adapting principles of an epidemiological approach to understanding cognitive aging, broadly defined. These promise to extend our understanding of dyadic interrelations in lifespan development and aging.
寿命发展和衰老并不是在真空中发生的。人们越来越认识到，其他人，如婚姻伴侣，往往在塑造配偶的发展轨迹方面起着关键作用。此外，这种塑造似乎至少部分依赖于长时间的相互作用，从而形成高度的熟悉度，有利于影响对偶成员的感受、行为和反应。本系列关于对偶关系的研究针对成功衰老的两个核心功能领域，即认知功能和主观幸福感，探讨了许多具体机制。这 4 篇论文采用了一系列方法，从实验会议到短期和长期纵向观察研究。这些文章的作者提供了关于配偶相互关系的理论基础的新见解，以及如何进行分析的方法。闭幕讨论文章总结了一些潜在的主题，并强调了夫妻和对偶研究的重要承诺，但也提出了明显的挑战。概述了未来研究的主要方向，特别是将流行病学方法的原则广泛应用于理解认知老化。这些有望扩展我们对寿命发展和衰老中对偶关系的理解。
