Life-Course Religious Attendance and Cognitive Functioning in Later Life

Terrence D. Hill · Dawn Celeste Carr · Amy M. Burdette · Benjamin Dowd‐Arrow

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Religion, Spirituality, and Psychology Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research Aging and Gerontology Research

Abstract

Although several studies suggest that religious attendance is associated with better cognitive functioning in later life, researchers have generally failed to connect with any established life-course perspectives or theories of cognitive aging. Building on previous work, we examine the effects of life-course religious attendance on a range of cognitive functioning outcomes. We employ data from the religious life histories module of the 2016 Health and Retirement Study, a subsample of 516 adults aged 65 and older. Our key findings demonstrate that older adults who attended religious services for more of their life course tend to exhibit poorer working memory and mental status and better self-rated memory than older adults who attended less often. We contribute to previous research by reconceptualizing religious attendance as a cumulative life-course exposure, exploring the effects of religious attendance net of secular social engagement, and examining a wider range of cognitive functioning outcomes.

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References

1977The CES-D Scale 2014How Does it STAC Up? Revisiting the Scaffolding Theory of Aging and Cognition 1990Religious Practice: A Human Capital Approach 1991Mediation of Adult Age Differences in Cognition by Reductions in Working Memory and Speed of Processing 2012Analytic Thinking Promotes Religious Disbelief 2011Divine intuition: Cognitive style influences belief in God.1990Attachment Theory and Religion: Childhood Attachments, Religious Beliefs, and Conversion 2016Atheists and Agnostics Are More Reflective than Religious Believers: Four Empirical Studies and a Meta-Analysis

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