Project Overview
Older Couples Who Play Together Stay Healthy Together: Shared Activities, Sleep, and Health
Department(s)
Psychological and Brain Sciences
Abstract
Popular culture tells us that couples who play together stay together. Research evidence aligns,
finding that couples who do shared leisure activities together experience increased relationship
satisfaction, individual growth, and ability to accomplish goals (Aron et al., 2000; Harasymchuk
et al., 2020; Muise et al., 2019; Tomlinson et al., in prep). Because older adults have smaller
social networks relative to young adults and spend more time with their partners as they age
(Lang & Carstensen, 2002), it is important to understand the effects of shared activities in older
adult couples. One way that relationship processes have been linked to health is through health
behaviors, such as sleep. Sufficient and high-quality sleep, in turn, are linked to myriad health
outcomes among older adults, including better cardiovascular health, fewer depressive and
anxiety symptoms, and less pain (e.g., Li & Gooneratne, 2019). We propose daily sleep quality
and duration and daily subjective well-being as mechanisms linking exciting shared activities
with health. To test these hypotheses, we will recruit couples over the age of 65 to participate
in a daily diary study in which they report on the activities that they do with their partner each
day, perceptions of their partner’s responsiveness, and measures of subjective well-being
(including mood and satisfaction with life). Through this multimethod project, we propose to
link positive relationship processes (shared exciting activities and responsiveness) with
important outcomes.
Student Qualifications
Psychological Science or Neuroscience major
Number of Student Researchers
3 students
Project Length
8 weeks