The Mediating Role of Positive Meta- Emotion in the Relationship between Religious Behavior and Cognitive Capability in Middle Age

Increasing age and the onset of middle age are associated with inevitable changes in cognitive abilities. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the relationship between religious behavior and cognitive ability of middle-aged people with the mediation of Positive meta-emotions.

The design of the present research was a correlational description and the statistical pupulation included all the middle-aged people of Shiraz city in 1400, which 247 middle-aged people were selected by available sampling method. In order to collect information, religious behavior scale, cognitive ability questionnaire and positive meta-emotion scale were used, which were completed online and through virtual networks. Data were analyzed using correlation and path analysis in SPSS and AMOS software.

Religious behavior has a significant positive relationship with positive meta-emotion (p=0.001 and β=0.49). Also, positive meta-emotion has a positive and significant relationship with cognitive ability (p=0.001 and β=0.36). The path of direct relationship between religious behavior and cognitive ability was also significant (p=0.009 and β=0.26). Therefore, the results of the path analysis indicated that positive meta-emotion can play a mediating role in the relationship between religious behavior and cognitive ability.

Therefore, according to the results of the present study, by providing therapeutic interventions based on improving religious behavior and positive meta emotions, it is possible to increase the cognitive ability of middle-aged people and thus to prevent or control cognitive decline in middle life and elderly.