Hamm Jeremy M, Turner Jennifer R, Lachman Margie E, Klepacz Laura M, Pierce Matthew J, Parker Kelly
Department of Psychology, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, USA.
Department of Psychology, University of Hawaii at Hilo, Hilo, Hawaii, USA.
J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci. 2025 Jun 10;80(7). doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbaf081.
The relationship between domain-general or global perceptions of control and cognition is well-established. However, little is known about how these domain-general beliefs combine with domain-specific perceptions in central life domains to form multifaceted patterns of control that may buffer against cognitive declines in midlife and old age.
We used 9-year data from the Midlife in the United States Study (n = 2,734, Mage = 55 years, range = 33-83; 58% female) to identify profiles of domain-general (personal mastery, perceived constraints) and domain-specific control over central life domains (health, work, finances, others' welfare, child relationships, and partner relationship). We subsequently assessed profile differences in 9-year trajectories of cognitive aging and whether these differences became pronounced in old age.
Factor mixture models showed that 4 common profiles emerged: low control, family control, work control, and domain-specific control. Autoregressive ANCOVAs showed the family control and work control profiles experienced the least 9-year decline in executive functioning (F3,2330 = 3.46, p = .016). Moderation models showed the family control profile experienced less decline in executive functioning than the work control profile, but only in old age (b = -0.006, p = .020). Supplemental analyses showed profile differences in cognitive aging were (a) mediated by theory-derived process variables (positive and negative affect) and (b) extended to a broader suite of health-related developmental outcomes (functional limitations, chronic conditions, and mortality).
Findings inform lifespan theories of development by documenting meaningful patterns of domain-general and domain-specific control that have implications for healthy cognitive aging.
领域一般或整体控制感与认知之间的关系已得到充分确立。然而，对于这些领域一般信念如何与核心生活领域中的特定领域认知相结合，形成多方面的控制模式，从而可能缓冲中年和老年认知能力下降的情况，我们却知之甚少。
我们使用了来自美国中年研究的9年数据（n = 2734，年龄中位数 = 55岁，范围 = 33 - 83岁；58%为女性），以确定领域一般（个人掌控感、感知到的限制）以及对核心生活领域（健康、工作、财务、他人福利、子女关系和伴侣关系）的特定领域控制的概况。随后，我们评估了认知老化9年轨迹中的概况差异，以及这些差异在老年时是否会变得显著。
因素混合模型显示出现了4种常见概况：低控制、家庭控制、工作控制和特定领域控制。自回归协方差分析显示，家庭控制和工作控制概况在执行功能方面9年下降最少（F3,2330 = 3.46，p = 0.016）。调节模型显示，家庭控制概况在执行功能方面的下降比工作控制概况少，但仅在老年时如此（b = -0.006，p = 0.020）。补充分析表明，认知老化中的概况差异（a）由理论推导的过程变量（积极和消极情绪）介导，（b）扩展到更广泛的一系列与健康相关的发展结果（功能限制、慢性病和死亡率）。
研究结果通过记录领域一般和特定领域控制的有意义模式，为寿命发展理论提供了信息，这些模式对健康的认知老化具有重要意义。
