In contrast, these features are less apparent in lower quality relationships. For example, in a low quality relationship, Margaret might ignore opportunities to support Paul or explicitly disaffirm Paul’s self-view (e.g., by making disparaging comments about his attempts to engage in activities important for healthy aging, or reminding him that he is not getting younger). Low quality relationships are also often characterized by inconsistent or ambivalent caregiving, with individuals finding their partner both helpful and upsetting. This in turn is associated with poorer markers of cardiovascular health (e.g., higher coronary calcification, lower resting heart rate variability) (Holt-Lunstad, Uchino, Smith, & Hicks, 2007; Uchino, Smith, & Berg, 2014).
Given the importance of high quality relationships for healthy aging (Holt-Lunstad, 2018; Robles et al., 2014; Uchino et al., 2016), the benefits of a younger subjective age bias ong individuals in such relationships. Higher quality relationships can provide affirmation and validation important for realizing a younger self-view and can also provide support and companionship to offset the negative effects of stress.
In lower quality relationships, partners may fail to affirm, or may even undermine, each others’ efforts to enact behaviors and pursue goals congruent with their self-view
We posit that investigating the potential interactive role of marital relationship quality is an important next step in research on subjective age. Read more