Cognitive aging in a social and affective context: Advances over the past 50 years

Abstract

Objective: This review contemplates the recent consideration of social and affective factors within the study of cognitive aging and examines the multiple ways in which these factors intersect. Methods: The article briefly reviews the models applied to cognitive aging and considers how they can inform the understanding of socioaffective aging. It then discusses the ways in which socioaffective and cognitive abilities intersect. Results: Models of cognitive aging can fruitfully be applied to socioaffective aging, although with some points of divergence. The interactions between cognitive and socioaffective aging are multifaceted and include bidirectional influences. Discussion: Socioaffective domains may preserve function within cognitive domains in part because socioaffective processing provides a rich source of environmental support and links to motivated cognition. The authors outline future directions related to these hypotheses.