TitleFluid cognitive ability is associated with greater exposure and smaller reactions to daily stressors.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2010
AuthorsStawski, RS, Almeida, DM, Lachman, ME, Tun, PA, Rosnick, CB
JournalPsychol Aging
Volume25
Issue2
Pagination330-342
Date Published2010 Jun
ISSN1939-1498
KeywordsActivities of Daily Living, Adaptation, Psychological, Adult, Affect, Aged, Aptitude, Cognition, Female, Humans, Interviews as Topic, Male, Middle Aged, Models, Psychological, Multivariate Analysis, Neuropsychological Tests, Psychometrics, Sex Factors, Social Environment, Stress, Psychological, Workload
Abstract

<p>The authors of this study investigated whether fluid cognitive ability predicts exposure and emotional reactivity to daily stressors. A national sample of adults from the Midlife in the United States study and the National Study of Daily Experiences (N = 1,202) who had a mean age of 57 years (SD = 12; 56% women, 44% men) completed positive and negative mood reports as well as a stressor diary on 8 consecutive evenings via telephone. Participants also completed a telephone-based battery of tests measuring fluid cognitive ability. Higher levels of fluid cognitive ability were associated with greater exposure to work- and home-related overload stressors. Possessing higher levels of fluid cognitive ability was associated with smaller stressor-related increases in negative mood, primarily for interpersonal tensions and network stressors, and smaller stressor-related decreases in positive mood for interpersonal tensions. Furthermore, fluid cognitive ability was unrelated to subjective severity ratings of the stressors reported. Discussion focuses on the role of fluid cognitive ability in daily stress processes.</p>

DOI10.1037/a0018246
Alternate JournalPsychol Aging
PubMed ID20545418
PubMed Central IDPMC2896229
Grant ListR01 AG019239-01 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
R01-AG19239 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
T32 MH018904 / MH / NIMH NIH HHS / United States
P01-AG0210166 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
P01 AG020166-01A10002 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
P01 AG020166 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
R01 AG019239 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
T32-MH018904 / MH / NIMH NIH HHS / United States