Patterns of Perceived Control that Buffer Against Cognitive Decline in Midlife and Old Age Open Access

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, M_age = 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 four 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 (F_3,2330 = 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 = -.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.