Abstract
The impact of conjugal loss on cognitive decline in older adults, independent of the effects from protective and risk factors was
investigated in a sample of 59 Australian adults (26 male and 33 female), aged between 50 and 80 years old. Twenty-three
participants reported conjugal loss and 36 participants were married, single, divorced, or in de facto relationships. Individual
differences in Depression, Personal Wellbeing Index and Resilience in Midlife Scale were investigated as potential mediators
of Cognitive decline as measured by the Bond Novel Image Novel Location (B_NINL; Carroll & Bahr, 2015) associated with loss
of a partner. Those who had lost a partner scored lower on visuo-spatial memory and had slower reaction times, compared to
non-widowed participants. Older adults who were widowed found to have slower processing speed compared to younger adults.
However, an effect of gender was not found. These findings were only significant when protective and risk factors were excluded
from the analysis. Protective factors strongly predicted personal wellbeing in the sample. The findings supported the notion that
conjugal loss is related to greater cognitive decline in older adults, and highlighted areas for further research.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages | 33 |
| Publication status | Published - 6 Dec 2018 |
| Event | 16th Australian Conference on Personality & Individual Differences: Advances and Challenges in Personality and Individual Differences – Theories and Applications - Bond University, Gold Coast, Australia Duration: 6 Dec 2018 → 8 Dec 2018 Conference number: 16th https://bond.edu.au/acpid2018 https://bond.edu.au/files/3643/ACPID%202018%20Program.pdf |
Conference
| Conference | 16th Australian Conference on Personality & Individual Differences |
|---|---|
| Abbreviated title | ACPID 2018 |
| Country/Territory | Australia |
| City | Gold Coast |
| Period | 6/12/18 → 8/12/18 |
| Other | Bond University's Faculty of Society & Design is pleased to host the 16th Australian Conference on Personality & Individual Differences (ACPID 2018) on the Gold Coast, Australia. Bond University last hosted the ACPID conference in 2008. The theme for 2018, a decade later, is on ' Advances and Challenges in Personality and Individual Differences – Theories and Applications '. The main objective of the conference is to share the advances and challenges you have seen (or hope to see), as researchers, postgraduate students, practising professionals, educators, administrators and creative thinkers interested in increasing our understanding of personality and individual differences and their impacts. |
| Internet address |