Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 22, 2026
06:58
Highlighting and Reducing the Impact of Negative Aging Stereotypes During Older Adults' Cognitive Testing
Published on: January 24, 2020
Perceived discrimination and cognition in older African Americans
L L Barnes1, T T Lewis, C T Begeny
1Rush Alzheimer's Disease Center, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois 60612, USA. lbarnes1@rush.edu
Summary
Perceived discrimination is linked to worse cognitive function, especially memory and processing speed, in older African Americans. This association is influenced by depressive symptoms and neuroticism.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Public Health
Background:
- Psychosocial stress is linked to cognitive impairment in older adults.
- Perceived discrimination is a significant stressor for African Americans, impacting health.
- The relationship between discrimination and cognitive function in older African Americans remains understudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between perceived discrimination and cognitive performance in older African Americans.
- To examine the influence of demographic factors, vascular risks, depressive symptoms, and neuroticism on this association.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 407 older African Americans without dementia was studied (mean age = 72.9).
- Cognitive function was assessed using tests for episodic memory and perceptual speed.
- Statistical analyses were performed to determine the relationship between perceived discrimination and cognitive outcomes, adjusting for covariates.
Main Results:
- Higher levels of perceived discrimination correlated with poorer performance in episodic memory and perceptual speed.
- These associations remained significant after adjusting for demographics and vascular risk factors.
- The link between discrimination and cognition was attenuated by depressive symptoms and modified by neuroticism.
Conclusions:
- Perceived discrimination may be associated with diminished cognitive function in older African Americans.
- The association appears to be mediated or confounded by depressive symptoms.
- Neuroticism may play a role in modifying the impact of discrimination on cognitive domains.
Related Concept Videos
02:55Stereotypes, Prejudice, and Discrimination
Humans are very diverse and although we share many similarities, we also have many differences. The social groups we belong to help form our identities (Tajfel, 1974). These differences may be difficult for some people to reconcile, which may lead to prejudice toward people who are different. Prejudice is a negative attitude and feeling toward an individual based solely on one’s membership in a particular social group (Allport, 1954; Brown, 2010). Prejudice is common against people who are...
02:16Surveys
Often, psychologists develop surveys as a means of gathering data. Surveys are lists of questions to be answered by research participants, and can be delivered as paper-and-pencil questionnaires, administered electronically, or conducted verbally. Generally, the survey itself can be completed in a short time, and the ease of administering a survey makes it easy to collect data from a large number of people.
01:30Cognitive Development During Adulthood
Cognitive development continues throughout adulthood, undergoing significant shifts across early, middle, and late stages. Individual transition occurs from adolescent idealism to pragmatic and adaptable thinking in early adulthood. During this period, individuals learn to integrate personal beliefs with the recognition that other perspectives are equally valid. Exposure to the complexities of modern society, diverse experiences, and higher education contribute to this adaptive thought process,...
01:23Cognition and Behavior
Social psychology examines the complex interplay between individual mental processes and social interactions. Historically, the field was divided into two domains: social behavior and social cognition. Researchers focusing on social behavior analyzed actions within social contexts, such as conformity, aggression, or cooperation. Meanwhile, social cognition researchers investigated how people perceive, interpret, and mentally represent their social environments. However, modern perspectives no...
01:31Confirmation Biases
The confirmation bias is the tendency to focus on information that confirms our existing beliefs and ignore information that is inconsistent with our expectations. For example, if you think that your professor is not very nice, you notice all of the instances of rude behavior exhibited by the professor while ignoring the countless pleasant interactions he is involved in on a daily basis. Have you ever fallen prey to the confirmation bias, either as the source or target of such bias?
01:38Cognitive Dissonance
Social psychologists have documented that feeling good about ourselves and maintaining positive self-esteem is a powerful motivator of human behavior (Tavris & Aronson, 2008). In the United States, members of the predominant culture typically think very highly of themselves and view themselves as good people who are above average on many desirable traits (Ehrlinger, Gilovich, & Ross, 2005). Often, our behavior, attitudes, and beliefs are affected when we experience a threat to our...