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 Concept Videos

Longitudinal Research02:20

Longitudinal Research

13.5K
Sometimes we want to see how people change over time, as in studies of human development and lifespan. When we test the same group of individuals repeatedly over an extended period of time, we are conducting longitudinal research. Longitudinal research is a research design in which data-gathering is administered repeatedly over an extended period of time. For example, we may survey a group of individuals about their dietary habits at age 20, retest them a decade later at age 30, and then again...
13.5K
Longitudinal Studies01:26

Longitudinal Studies

563
Longitudinal studies are also widely used in other medical and social science fields. For instance, in cardiovascular research, they can monitor patients' health over decades to identify risk factors for heart disease, such as high cholesterol or smoking, and evaluate the long-term effectiveness of preventive measures. Similarly, in mental health studies, researchers might follow individuals from adolescence into adulthood to understand the development and progression of conditions like...
563
Language and Cognition01:27

Language and Cognition

848
Language serves as a bridge between ideas and communication, influencing how individuals perceive and interact with the world. Psychologists have long debated whether language shapes thought or vice versa. This discussion gained grip with Edward Sapir and Benjamin Lee Whorf in the 1940s, who proposed that language determines thought, a concept known as linguistic determinism. They suggested that the vocabulary and structure of a language influence how its speakers think and perceive reality.
848
Cognitive Development During Adulthood01:30

Cognitive Development During Adulthood

957
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,...
957
Biological Influences on Intelligence01:30

Biological Influences on Intelligence

613
Intelligence is often thought to be linked to brain size, but the relationship is more complex than that. While brain size does correlate modestly with some abilities, like verbal skills, the connection is weaker for others, such as spatial reasoning. Other factors, like brain structure, also play crucial roles. For instance, despite Einstein's smaller-than-average brain, his parietal cortex, which is involved in spatial reasoning, was 15% wider, suggesting that neural density might matter...
613
Information Processing Approach01:30

Information Processing Approach

638
The information-processing theory of cognitive development centers on fundamental mental processes, including attention, memory, and problem-solving skills. Researchers in this field examine how cognitive abilities, such as working memory, evolve and influence children's overall development. Studies indicate that children with stronger working memory tend to excel in reading comprehension, math, and problem-solving compared to peers with less efficient memory skills. Low working memory is...
638

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Intertwined Friendships: How Older Women Navigated Couple Friendships and Individual Friendships Alongside Romantic Partners.

Research on aging·2025
Same author

Dyadic Associations Between Self-Perceptions of Aging and Health Behaviors Among Middle-Aged and Older Couples.

The Gerontologist·2025
Same author

Early-life socioeconomic position and later-life cognitive functioning: A meta-analysis.

Social science & medicine (1982)·2024
Same author

Caregiver Characteristics and Barriers to Resource Use: Findings From a Rural State Caregiver Survey.

Gerontology & geriatric medicine·2024
Same author

Links between Couples' Cynical Hostility and Mental Health: A Dyadic Investigation of Older Couples.

Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland)·2024
Same author

Marital Quality and Alcohol Use among Couples in Mid- and Later-Life.

Journal of applied gerontology : the official journal of the Southern Gerontological Society·2022
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

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 22, 2026

Working Memory Training for Older Participants: A Control Group Training Regimen and Initial Intellectual Functioning Assessment
07:01

Working Memory Training for Older Participants: A Control Group Training Regimen and Initial Intellectual Functioning Assessment

Published on: September 20, 2020

5.3K

Longitudinal Associations Between Formal Volunteering and Cognitive Functioning.

Christine M Proulx1, Angela L Curl2, Ashley E Ermer3

  • 1Department of Human Development and Family Science, University of Missouri, Columbia.

The Journals of Gerontology. Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences
|September 29, 2017
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Formal volunteering benefits cognitive function in older adults, particularly for women and those with lower education. This engagement supports working memory and processing over time.

More Related Videos

A Method for Investigating Age-related Differences in the Functional Connectivity of Cognitive Control Networks Associated with Dimensional Change Card Sort Performance
09:01

A Method for Investigating Age-related Differences in the Functional Connectivity of Cognitive Control Networks Associated with Dimensional Change Card Sort Performance

Published on: May 7, 2014

10.6K
Orienteering as a Tool for Cognitive Research: An Implementation Guide
07:13

Orienteering as a Tool for Cognitive Research: An Implementation Guide

Published on: November 29, 2024

1.5K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 22, 2026

Working Memory Training for Older Participants: A Control Group Training Regimen and Initial Intellectual Functioning Assessment
07:01

Working Memory Training for Older Participants: A Control Group Training Regimen and Initial Intellectual Functioning Assessment

Published on: September 20, 2020

5.3K
A Method for Investigating Age-related Differences in the Functional Connectivity of Cognitive Control Networks Associated with Dimensional Change Card Sort Performance
09:01

A Method for Investigating Age-related Differences in the Functional Connectivity of Cognitive Control Networks Associated with Dimensional Change Card Sort Performance

Published on: May 7, 2014

10.6K
Orienteering as a Tool for Cognitive Research: An Implementation Guide
07:13

Orienteering as a Tool for Cognitive Research: An Implementation Guide

Published on: November 29, 2024

1.5K

Area of Science:

  • Gerontology
  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Sociology

Background:

  • Cognitive decline is a significant concern in aging populations.
  • Understanding modifiable factors that support cognitive health is crucial.
  • Formal volunteering represents a potentially beneficial social and productive activity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the longitudinal relationship between formal volunteering and cognitive functioning.
  • To examine how factors like sex, race, and education moderate this association.
  • To analyze changes in cognitive functioning over time in relation to volunteering.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from 11,100 participants aged 51+ from the Health and Retirement Survey.
  • Employed multilevel models to analyze nine waves of longitudinal data.
  • Simultaneously modeled associations between formal volunteering and cognitive changes.

Main Results:

  • Formal volunteering was linked to higher cognitive functioning, especially in working memory and processing.
  • The positive association was stronger for women and individuals with below-average education.
  • The impact on cognitive functioning varied over time, strengthening for working memory/processing but weakening for general memory.

Conclusions:

  • Formal volunteering is a beneficial activity for maintaining cognitive function in older age.
  • The cognitive benefits of volunteering are particularly pronounced for women and those with lower educational attainment.
  • Volunteering positively impacts specific cognitive domains like working memory and processing over time.