Is There a Cognitive Footprint of Political Systems? The Case of Separation and Reunification of East and West Germany and Its Association With Later Life Cognitive Health.

IF 1.8 3区社会学 Q2 GERONTOLOGY

Research on Aging Pub Date : 2025-10-04 DOI:10.1177/01640275251383810

Ariane Bertogg, Jeffrey E Stokes

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Germany's division into the GDR (East) and FRG (West) in 1946, and subsequent reunification in 1989, had lasting impacts on individual life courses. While East-West differentials in physical health and mortality have been well-studied, cognitive health differences remain underexplored. This study examines cognitive trajectories among individuals living in the GDR and FRG, focusing on exposure duration and age at reunification. We find that former GDR residents perform better in memory, verbal fluency, numeracy, and orientation. Cognitive advantages for East Germans are most pronounced among individuals who experienced reunification in their twenties, suggesting a critical period during young adulthood. In contrast, West Germans who experienced reunification in their forties show relative disadvantages. No significant differences are observed among those near retirement age at the time of reunification. These findings contribute to understanding how political regimes shape cognitive aging and highlight the long-term effects of sociopolitical contexts on aging processes.

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政治制度是否存在认知足迹？东德与西德的分离与统一及其与晚年认知健康的关系

德国在1946年分裂为东德（东德）和西德（西德），随后在1989年重新统一，对个人的人生历程产生了持久的影响。虽然东西方在身体健康和死亡率方面的差异已经得到了充分的研究，但对认知健康差异的探索仍然不足。本研究考察了生活在德意志民主共和国和德意志联邦共和国的个人的认知轨迹，重点是暴露时间和统一时的年龄。我们发现，前德意志民主共和国居民在记忆力、语言流畅性、计算能力和定向能力方面表现更好。东德人的认知优势在20多岁经历过统一的人中最为明显，这表明这是一个关键时期。相比之下，经历过统一的西德人在40多岁时表现出相对的劣势。在统一时接近退休年龄的人群中，没有观察到显著差异。这些发现有助于理解政治制度如何塑造认知老龄化，并强调社会政治背景对老龄化过程的长期影响。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Research on Aging GERONTOLOGY-

CiteScore

4.50

自引率

0.00%

发文量

期刊介绍： Research on Aging is an interdisciplinary journal designed to reflect the expanding role of research in the field of social gerontology. Research on Aging exists to provide for publication of research in the broad range of disciplines concerned with aging. Scholars from the disciplines of sociology, geriatrics, history, psychology, anthropology, public health, economics, political science, criminal justice, and social work are encouraged to contribute articles to the journal. Emphasis will be on materials of broad scope and cross-disciplinary interest. Assessment of the current state of knowledge is as important as provision of an outlet for new knowledge, so critical and review articles are welcomed. Systematic attention to particular topics will also be featured.