Perceived spousal similarity in outlook on life: implications for later-life well-being

People tend to choose marital partners who are similar to themselves, and spouses become increasingly similar in some respects due to shared life experiences. However, it is unknown whether spousal similarity contributes to the health of married people in later life. This study investigates whether and how spousal similarity in outlook on life is linked to later-life well-being.

We used data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, a long-running prospective study following graduates from Wisconsin high schools in 1957 and their selected siblings. We measured perceived spousal similarity in outlook on life at both the individual (i.e., self-evaluation) and couple (i.e., concordance/discordance in evaluations between spouses) levels when participants were, 65 years old, on average. Later-life well-being was measured by self-rated general health, functional limitations, loneliness, depression, and cognitive health 16 years later.

Reporting strong spousal similarity in outlook on life was associated with lower risks of loneliness and cognitive impairment in later life, after controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, spousal similarity in other aspects, individual outlook on life, marital quality, and marital dissolution. Compared with both spouses reporting "very similar," reporting less spousal similarity than the spouse was associated with higher risks of loneliness and cognitive impairment, after controlling for those covariates.

Spousal similarity is an important marital attribute that could shape health inequality among married people. It is associated with less loneliness and cognitive impairment in later life. Self-perception of spousal similarity appears to better predict later-life well-being than concordance/discordance in both spouses' evaluations.