Resource or crisis?: Cognitive functioning after widowhood and why paid work status matters

Maria Karlene Shawn I Cabaraban; Valeria Bordone; Daniela Weber

doi:10.1093/geronb/gbaf234

Resource or crisis? Cognitive functioning after widowhood and why paid work status matters

Maria Karlene Shawn I Cabaraban (Korresp. Autor*in)
, Valeria Bordone
, Daniela Weber

Institut für Soziologie

Veröffentlichungen: Beitrag in Fachzeitschrift › Artikel › Peer Reviewed

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: This study investigates the extent to which the experience of widowhood is associated with within-person changes in two key dimensions of cognitive functioning: crystallized and fluid intelligence (measured as memory recall and verbal fluency, respectively). This work enriches the empirical body of knowledge by considering whether paid work status (defined as working, retirement, or homemaking) plays a protective role in gender-specific cognitive changes associated with losing a spouse.

METHODS: Utilizing six waves of the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) covering 32,089 men (N = 97,774) and 40,821 women (N = 126,998) aged 50+, two-way fixed-effects regression models were estimated to compare changes in cognitive functioning between being continuously partnered versus experiencing widowhood. We considered important heterogeneities by performing sub-sample analyses by paid work status and gender.

RESULTS: Cognitive changes were associated with widowhood, albeit markedly different by gender and across paid work status. The transition to widowhood among men was associated with reduced verbal fluency only if working. Instead, widows performed more poorly, especially in terms of memory recall, but only if they were homemakers at the time of the transition.

DISCUSSION: Paid work may serve as a cognitive resource after widowhood. However, the way in which it acts depends on gender, while being retired at the time of widowhood acts as a protection for both men and women.

Originalsprache	Englisch
Aufsatznummer	gbaf234
Fachzeitschrift	The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences
Jahrgang	81
Ausgabenummer	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/geronb/gbaf234
Publikationsstatus	Veröffentlicht - 13 Nov. 2025

Fördermittel

This paper uses data from SHARE waves 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, and 8 ( https://doi.org/10.6103/SHARE.w4.800 , https://doi.org/10.6103/SHARE.w6.800 ) see for methodological details. The SHARE data collection has been funded by the European Commission, DG RTD through FP5 (QLK6-CT-2001-00360), FP6 (SHARE-I3: RII-CT-2006-062193, COMPARE: CIT5-CT-2005-028857, SHARELIFE: CIT4-CT-2006-028812), FP7 (SHARE-PREP: GA N°211909, SHARE-LEAP: GA N°227822, SHARE M4: GA N°261982, DASISH: GA N°283646) and Horizon 2020 (SHARE-DEV3: GA N°676536, SHARE-COHESION: GA N°870628, SERISS: GA N°654221, SSHOC: GA N°823782, SHARE-COVID19: GA N°101015924) and by DG Employment, Social Affairs & Inclusion through VS 2015/0195, VS 2016/0135, VS 2018/0285, VS 2019/0332, VS 2020/0313 and SHARE-EUCOV: GA N°101052589 and EUCOVII: GA N°101102412. Additional funding from the German Ministry of Education and Research, the Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science, the U.S. National Institute on Aging (U01_AG09740-13S2, P01_AG005842, P01_AG08291, P30_AG12815, R21_AG025169, Y1-AG-4553-01, IAG_BSR06-11, OGHA_04-064, BSR12-04, R01_AG052527-02, HHSN271201300071C, RAG052527A) and from various national funding sources is gratefully acknowledged (see www.share-eric.eu ). This work was supported by the Vienna Science and Technology Fund (Grant number LS22-008). The work of D.W. is partly also supported by an APART-GSK Fellowship of the Austrian Academy (APART GSK/11844).

Träger	Trägernummer
Wiener Wissenschafts-, Forschungs- und Technologiefonds (WWTF)	LS22-008

ÖFOS 2012

504001 Allgemeine Soziologie
509005 Gerontologie

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10.1093/geronb/gbaf234Lizenz: CC BY 4.0

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abstract = "OBJECTIVES: This study investigates the extent to which the experience of widowhood is associated with within-person changes in two key dimensions of cognitive functioning: crystallized and fluid intelligence (measured as memory recall and verbal fluency, respectively). This work enriches the empirical body of knowledge by considering whether paid work status (defined as working, retirement, or homemaking) plays a protective role in gender-specific cognitive changes associated with losing a spouse.METHODS: Utilizing six waves of the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) covering 32,089 men (N = 97,774) and 40,821 women (N = 126,998) aged 50+, two-way fixed-effects regression models were estimated to compare changes in cognitive functioning between being continuously partnered versus experiencing widowhood. We considered important heterogeneities by performing sub-sample analyses by paid work status and gender.RESULTS: Cognitive changes were associated with widowhood, albeit markedly different by gender and across paid work status. The transition to widowhood among men was associated with reduced verbal fluency only if working. Instead, widows performed more poorly, especially in terms of memory recall, but only if they were homemakers at the time of the transition.DISCUSSION: Paid work may serve as a cognitive resource after widowhood. However, the way in which it acts depends on gender, while being retired at the time of widowhood acts as a protection for both men and women.",

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author = "Cabaraban, \{Maria Karlene Shawn I\} and Valeria Bordone and Daniela Weber",

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Resource or crisis? Cognitive functioning after widowhood and why paid work status matters. / Cabaraban, Maria Karlene Shawn I (Korresp. Autor*in); Bordone, Valeria; Weber, Daniela.
in: The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences, Band 81, Nr. 1, gbaf234, 13.11.2025.

Veröffentlichungen: Beitrag in Fachzeitschrift › Artikel › Peer Reviewed

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T1 - Resource or crisis?

T2 - Cognitive functioning after widowhood and why paid work status matters

AU - Cabaraban, Maria Karlene Shawn I

AU - Bordone, Valeria

AU - Weber, Daniela

PY - 2025/11/13

Y1 - 2025/11/13

N2 - OBJECTIVES: This study investigates the extent to which the experience of widowhood is associated with within-person changes in two key dimensions of cognitive functioning: crystallized and fluid intelligence (measured as memory recall and verbal fluency, respectively). This work enriches the empirical body of knowledge by considering whether paid work status (defined as working, retirement, or homemaking) plays a protective role in gender-specific cognitive changes associated with losing a spouse.METHODS: Utilizing six waves of the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) covering 32,089 men (N = 97,774) and 40,821 women (N = 126,998) aged 50+, two-way fixed-effects regression models were estimated to compare changes in cognitive functioning between being continuously partnered versus experiencing widowhood. We considered important heterogeneities by performing sub-sample analyses by paid work status and gender.RESULTS: Cognitive changes were associated with widowhood, albeit markedly different by gender and across paid work status. The transition to widowhood among men was associated with reduced verbal fluency only if working. Instead, widows performed more poorly, especially in terms of memory recall, but only if they were homemakers at the time of the transition.DISCUSSION: Paid work may serve as a cognitive resource after widowhood. However, the way in which it acts depends on gender, while being retired at the time of widowhood acts as a protection for both men and women.

AB - OBJECTIVES: This study investigates the extent to which the experience of widowhood is associated with within-person changes in two key dimensions of cognitive functioning: crystallized and fluid intelligence (measured as memory recall and verbal fluency, respectively). This work enriches the empirical body of knowledge by considering whether paid work status (defined as working, retirement, or homemaking) plays a protective role in gender-specific cognitive changes associated with losing a spouse.METHODS: Utilizing six waves of the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) covering 32,089 men (N = 97,774) and 40,821 women (N = 126,998) aged 50+, two-way fixed-effects regression models were estimated to compare changes in cognitive functioning between being continuously partnered versus experiencing widowhood. We considered important heterogeneities by performing sub-sample analyses by paid work status and gender.RESULTS: Cognitive changes were associated with widowhood, albeit markedly different by gender and across paid work status. The transition to widowhood among men was associated with reduced verbal fluency only if working. Instead, widows performed more poorly, especially in terms of memory recall, but only if they were homemakers at the time of the transition.DISCUSSION: Paid work may serve as a cognitive resource after widowhood. However, the way in which it acts depends on gender, while being retired at the time of widowhood acts as a protection for both men and women.

KW - Cognition

KW - Labor market

KW - Marital status

KW - Memory recall

KW - Verbal fluency

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