Sutin Angelina R, Luchetti Martina, Stephan Yannick, Terracciano Antonio
Florida State University College of Medicine, Tallahassee, USA.
Euromov, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France.
J Int Neuropsychol Soc. 2024 Mar;30(3):244-252. doi: 10.1017/S1355617723000516. Epub 2023 Aug 23.
To examine (1) the association between purpose in life and multiple domains of cognitive function and informant-rated cognitive decline, affect, and activities; (2) whether these associations are moderated by sociodemographic factors, cognitive impairment, or depression; (3) whether the associations are independent of other aspects of well-being and depressive symptoms.
As part of the 2016 Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol from the Health and Retirement Study, participants completed a battery of cognitive tests and nominated a knowledgeable informant to rate their cognitive decline, affect, and activities. Participants with information available on their purpose in life from the 2014/2016 Leave Behind Questionnaire were included in the analytic sample ( = 2,812).
Purpose in life was associated with better performance in every cognitive domain examined (episodic memory, speed-attention, visuospatial skills, language, numeric reasoning; median =.10, <.001; median =.53). Purpose was likewise associated with informant-rated cognitive decline and informant-rated affective and activity profiles beneficial for cognitive health (median =.18, < .001; median =.55). There was little evidence of moderation by sociodemographic or other factors (e.g., depression). Life satisfaction, optimism, positive affect, and mastery were generally associated with cognition. When tested simultaneously with each other and depressive symptoms, most dimensions were reduced to non-significance; purpose remained a significant predictor.
Purpose in life is associated with better performance across numerous domains of cognition and with emotional and behavioral patterns beneficial for cognitive health that are observable by knowledgeable others. These associations largely generalize across demographic and clinical groups and are independent of other aspects of well-being.
探讨（1）生活目的与认知功能的多个领域、知情者评定的认知衰退、情感及活动之间的关联；（2）这些关联是否受到社会人口学因素、认知障碍或抑郁的调节；（3）这些关联是否独立于幸福感和抑郁症状的其他方面。
作为2016年健康与退休研究统一认知评估协议的一部分，参与者完成了一系列认知测试，并指定一位了解情况的知情者对他们的认知衰退、情感及活动进行评分。分析样本纳入了2014/2016年遗愿问卷中有生活目的相关信息的参与者（=2812）。
生活目的与所考察的每个认知领域（情景记忆、速度注意力、视觉空间技能、语言、数字推理）的更好表现相关（中位数=0.10，<0.001；中位数=0.53）。生活目的同样与知情者评定的认知衰退以及对认知健康有益的知情者评定的情感和活动概况相关（中位数=0.18，<0.001；中位数=0.55）。几乎没有证据表明社会人口学或其他因素（如抑郁）起到调节作用。生活满意度、乐观、积极情感和掌控感通常与认知相关。当它们彼此以及与抑郁症状同时进行检验时，大多数维度的相关性降至不显著水平；生活目的仍然是一个显著的预测因素。
生活目的与多个认知领域的更好表现以及对认知健康有益的情绪和行为模式相关，这些模式可被了解情况的他人观察到。这些关联在很大程度上适用于不同人口统计学和临床群体，并且独立于幸福感的其他方面。
