Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

An engagement model of cognitive optimization through adulthood.

Elizabeth A L Stine-Morrow1, Jeanine M Parisi, Daniel G Morrow

  • 1Department of Educational Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 226 Education Building, 1310 South Sixth St., Champaign, IL 61820-6990, USA. eals@uiuc.edu

The Journals of Gerontology. Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences
|August 3, 2007
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Chronic pain and subjective memory problems are dynamic risk factors for functional decline: An ACTIVE longitudinal study.

Experimental gerontology·2025
Same author

Revisiting Centiloids using AI.

Research square·2025
Same author

State of the Evidence for Prehospital Plasma Infusion for Patients With Suspected Traumatic Hemorrhage: A Rapid Review by the Prehospital Evidence-Based Practice Program.

Air medical journal·2025
Same author

Diffindo! Precise language comprehension in older adulthood revealed by event-related brain potential studies of domain knowledge.

Cognition·2025
Same author

Effects of aerobic exercise and cardiorespiratory fitness on white matter free water fraction in older adults: a 1-year randomized controlled trial.

GeroScience·2025
Same author

The Dallas Lifespan Brain Study: A Comprehensive Adult Lifespan Data Set of Brain and Cognitive Aging.

Scientific data·2025
Same journal

Social vulnerability and the mental health consequences of the death of a close friend in older adulthood.

The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences·2026
Same journal

Daily Loneliness and Subjective Well-being as a Function of Older Adults' Sexual Orientation.

The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences·2026
Same journal

Do Changes in Sense of Purpose in Life Predict Charitable Giving Among U.S. Older Adults? The Moderating Role of Financial Planning Horizon.

The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences·2026
Same journal

Discrimination and Depressive Symptoms: The Role of Psychological Resilience across Racial and Ethnic Groups.

The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences·2026
Same journal

The role of depressive symptoms, episodic memory, and executive functioning on prospective memory: New insights from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging.

The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences·2026
Same journal

The moderating role of personality in the associations between delay discounting and technology use among older adults.

The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences·2026
See all related articles

The Senior Odyssey program, a creative problem-solving initiative, improved cognitive functions like processing speed and divergent thinking in older adults. This study supports the engagement hypothesis, showing social and intellectual activities can mitigate age-related cognitive decline.

Area of Science:

  • Gerontology
  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Social Engagement

Background:

  • The engagement hypothesis posits that social and intellectual activities can protect against age-related cognitive decline.
  • Existing social structures may not adequately support lifelong intellectual engagement for the growing older population.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To test the engagement hypothesis using a field experiment.
  • To evaluate the effectiveness of the Senior Odyssey program in enhancing cognitive functioning and psychological well-being in older adults.

Main Methods:

  • A field experiment was conducted to assess the impact of the Senior Odyssey program.
  • Participants in the Senior Odyssey program engaged in team-based creative problem-solving activities.
  • Cognitive functions, mindfulness, and need for cognition were measured before and after the program.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

  • Senior Odyssey participants demonstrated significant improvements in processing speed compared to controls.
  • A marginal improvement in divergent thinking was observed in the program participants.
  • Participants reported higher levels of mindfulness and need for cognition post-program.

Conclusions:

  • The Senior Odyssey program shows potential as an effective model for promoting engagement in older adults.
  • The findings support the engagement hypothesis by demonstrating cognitive and psychological benefits.
  • The program has good potential for scalability to benefit a larger older population.