Social Interaction and Social Cognition in Aging

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Abstract
The focus of the present study was on the relationship between levels of social interaction and social cognitive abilities of elderly people. Measures of social interaction consisted of a series of quantitative descriptors regarding the magnitude and diversity of social role involvement. Measures of social cognition consisted of (1) person perception; (2) conceptualization of alternative solutions to interpersonal problems, and (3) ability to coordinate multiple points of view. Subjects were 122 non-institutionalized males and females ranging in age from 65 to 89 years. A positive and significant relationship between levels of social interaction and social cognition was found. Levels of social interaction were a more significant predictor of cognitive decline than age, and age by itself did not predict levels of cognitive functioning in the elderly. These findings are discussed in terms of their implications for advancing a more positive model of aging in which an individual’s social context rather than age is treated as a parameter of development.

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