Joint Goals in Older Couples: Associations With Goal Progress, Allostatic Load, and Relationship Satisfaction

Older adults often have long-term relationships, and many of their goals are intertwined with respective partners. Joint can help or hinder goal progress. Little is known about how accurately older assess if a joint, the role over-reporting in these perceptions, joint may relate to partners' relationship satisfaction physical health (operationally defined as allostatic load). Two-hundred-thirty-six from 118 couples (50% female; M age = 71 years) listed three most important whether they thought them had common wanted achieve together partner (self-reported goals). Two independent raters classified “joint” both partners independently open-ended same content. Goal progress were assessed 1 week later. Allostatic load was calculated using nine different biomarkers. Results show that 85% self-reported at least one joint. Over-reporting– perception when fact it not mentioned among salient spouse – occurred one-third all goals. Multilevel models indicate number externally-rated related greater lower load, but only for little over-reporting. More higher each linked more satisfaction. In conclusion, associated progress, satisfaction, health, association dependent on domain functioning.