Purpose in life and cognitive function: Evidence for momentary associations in daily life

Abstract

Purpose in life is associated with healthier cognitive outcomes in older adulthood. This research examines within-person dynamics between momentary purpose and cognitive function to provide proof of concept that increases in purpose are associated with better cognitive performance. Participants (N=303; 54% female; Mage=51.71, SD=7.32) completed smartphone-based momentary assessments of purpose and short cognitive tasks three times a day for eight days. In moments when participants felt more purpose driven than their average, they had faster processing speed (b=-1.240, SE=0.194; p<.001), independent of person, temporal, and contextual factors and practice effects. Momentary purpose was unrelated to visual working memory performance (b=-0.001, SE=0.001; p=.475). In contrast to purpose, momentary hedonic affect (e.g., happiness) was unrelated to momentary cognition. Feeling more momentary purpose may support faster processing speed in daily life. Such evidence provides stage 0 support for a purpose-based intervention for healthier cognition, which may be particularly useful in middle adulthood and the transition to older adulthood before the onset of cognitive impairment.