Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40811093›Full record

ArticleJournal of personality and social psychology2026

A coordinated analysis of bidirectional associations between life satisfaction and cognitive function.

Kyrsten C Hill, Gabrielle N Pfund, Payton D Rule, Patrick L Hill, Bryan D James, Jason J Hassenstab, Martijn Huisman, Emily C Willroth

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of personality and social psychology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Kyrsten C HillDepartment of Psychology, University of Colorado Colorado Springs.ORCID 0000-0002-4300-0508
Gabrielle N PfundDepartment of Human Development and Family Science, Auburn University.
Payton D RuleDepartment of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis.
Patrick L HillDepartment of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis.
Bryan D JamesDepartment of Internal Medicine, Rush University Medical Center.
Jason J HassenstabDepartment of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis.
Martijn HuismanDepartment of Epidemiology and Data Science, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Location Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam.
Emily C WillrothDepartment of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis.

Funding

HRS Yrs29-34: Y33 SSA CoFundingU01AG009740 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · PI Jessica Faul, KENNETH M LANGA · 1990 to 2026
$555.8M
Project-001R01AG017644 · NIA · UNIVERSITY OF LONDON INST OF NEUROLOGY · PI Andrew Steptoe · 2000 to 2026
$56.2M
Research Education ComponentP30AG066444 · NIA · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · PI Susan Lynn Stark · 2020 to 2026
$28.7M
Predictors and consequences of the timing and accuracy of clinical dementia diagnosisR01AG072559 · NIA · RUSH UNIVERSITY MEDICAL CENTER · PI Bryan David James · 2022 to 2026
$2.9M
Enhancing the Comparability of SHARE with HRS and ELSAR01AG052527 · NIA · MAX PLANCK INST/SOCIAL LAW/SOCIAL POLICY · PI BOERSCH-SUPAN, AXEL H · 2016 to 2020
$2.1M
Well-being as a Protective Factor against Cognitive Decline and Dementia RiskR00AG071838 · NIA · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · PI WILLROTH, EMILY C · 2022 to 2024
$853k
German Federal Ministry for Education and ResearchMax Planck Society for the Advancement of ScienceNational Institutes of Health; National Institute on AgingNetherlands Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport; Directorate of Long-Term CareNIA NIH HHS HHSN271201300071CNIA NIH HHS P30 AG066444NIA NIH HHS R00 AG071838NIA NIH HHS R01 AG017644NIA NIH HHS R01 AG052527NIA NIH HHS R01 AG072559NIA NIH HHS U01 AG009740U.K. Government Departments
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Life satisfaction is an important component of well-being to consider in relation to cognitive function due to its modifiability, potential utility in public health policy, and associations with cognitive health outcomes. However, little is known about the directionality of the association between life satisfaction and cognitive function, and past longitudinal work has yielded mixed findings. Using a coordinated data analytic approach, the current research used data from five longitudinal studies with at least three co-occurring waves of life satisfaction and cognitive function assessments, including over 60,000 individuals aged 50 years and older across multiple countries. Bivariate latent growth curve models and random intercept cross-lagged panel models were used to model between- and within-person associations and to test the potentially bidirectional association between life satisfaction and cognitive function over time. Findings revealed modest between- and within-person associations between life satisfaction and cognitive function. At the between-person level, individuals with higher life satisfaction also had higher cognitive function, and the two constructs changed together across time. However, initial levels of one did not predict long-term change trajectories in the other. At the within-person level, declines in life satisfaction predicted subsequent declines in cognitive function, and vice versa. The current research advances our understanding of the relationship between life satisfaction and cognitive function, suggesting that these constructs change together in the long term and predict changes in each other in the short term. Findings provide observational evidence for the potential utility of life satisfaction in promoting healthy cognitive aging. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).

Indexed as

CognitionPersonal SatisfactionAgedAged, 80 and overFemaleHumansLongitudinal StudiesMaleMiddle Aged

Identifiers

PMID40811093
PMCPMC12356494

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.