Faculty Books and Book Chapters

Marriage in Old Age

Marriage in Old Age

Book Title

Essays in Developmental Psychology

Document Type

Essay

Publication Date

2020

Editors

Randall Summers, Charles Golden, Lisa Lashley, & Erica Ailes

Keywords

collective memories, confidants and partners, intercommunication, marriage, old age, psychological distress, rates of illness, spousal relationships

Description

Excerpt

As closely interactive cohorts throughout their adult lives, husbands and wives have been seen to become even closer confidants and partners in older age. These changes may predominate after retirement and the loss of daily work practices and professional systems. Older couples have frequently shared a considerable quantity of time with one another, and subsequently are able to call forth collective memories and years of intercommunications. In addition, older adult couples usually report less conflicts, and appear to acquire more meaning out of their spousal relationships. They also report less psychological distress and rates of illness than older singles. These benefits appear to be chiefly noticeable in later life.

Additional Information

This is one in a collection of essays as part of a project that began as an encyclopedia of developmental psychology coordinated by Dr. Randall Summers. However, for unforeseen reasons, the publisher was no longer in a position to publish the encyclopedia. This project was undertaken so that thousands of hours of work by psychologists would not go wasted. Enjoy these essays and feel free to cite them using the proper format.

Submit suggestions for corrections and topics to goldench@nova.edu.

Disciplines

Psychology

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Marriage in Old Age

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