Research indicates unmarried child-free elderly interact more with friends than married child-free elderly. What is the most likely reason?

• A. The unmarried have more time on their hands.
• B. The married are consumed with keeping up with relatives from both sides.
• C. The unmarried have better interpersonal skills.
• D. Married couples tend to depend more on each other than outsiders.

Answer: (D)

The main idea here is how marital status shapes where older adults seek social connection. When people are married, their daily companionship and emotional support typically come from their spouse, making the partner the central social partner. That means less need to turn to outside friends for companionship. Unmarried child-free elders don’t have that spouse-based support, so they rely more on friends to fulfill social needs, leading to more interaction with friends than their married counterparts.

So the most likely reason is that married couples tend to depend more on each other than on outsiders, reducing the frequency of interactions with friends. Time availability or family obligations don’t fully explain the pattern, and interpersonal skills aren’t assumed to differ in this context.