The Journals of Gerontology Series B· 2026Q1
Activity diversity and psychological richness across midlife and older adulthood
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- Q1SCImago
- 2026year
Short summary
Lower daily activity diversity was associated with higher psychological richness in midlife and older adults from the MIDUS study (M2: β = −0.07, p <.001; MR: β = −0.06, p = .009).
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Key points
- Daily activity diversity was measured using Shannon entropy in two MIDUS cohorts (N=1,834 and N=730).
- Lower activity diversity was significantly associated with higher psychological richness in both cohorts.
- The inverse association remained after adjusting for demographic and health factors, though it was only statistically significant in the M2 cohort (β = −0.07, p <.001).
- Psychological richness may be achieved through focused daily engagement rather than a wide variety of activities.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
Abstract Objectives Psychological richness, a dimension of well-being characterized by novelty, complexity, and perspective change, is theoretically grounded in varied and unusual experiences. This study examined whether daily activity diversity was associated with psychological richness in two cohorts of midlife and older adults from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study. Methods Daily reports were drawn from two cohorts of the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) study: MIDUS 2 (M2; N = 1,834) and the MIDUS Refresher (MR; N = 730). Daily activity diversity was quantified with Shannon entropy, capturing both the breadth and evenness of participants' daily activities. Results Lower activity diversity was associated with higher psychological richness in both cohorts (M2: β = −0.07, p <.001; MR: β = −0.06, p = .009). After adjustment for age, sex, education, race, and chronic health conditions, associations were inverse in both cohorts but statistically significant only in M2 (M2: β = −0.07, p <.001; MR: β = −0.04, p = .068). Discussion These findings suggest that broader activity repertoires do not necessarily correspond to greater psychological richness and that psychologically rich lives may coexist with relatively narrow patterns of daily engagement.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. The Journals of Gerontology Series B, 2026 · DOI ↗
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Field: Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology
Neuropsychology and Physiological PsychologyPsychology