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Highlighting and Reducing the Impact of Negative Aging Stereotypes During Older Adults' Cognitive Testing
Published on: January 24, 2020
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Change in attitudes toward aging: Cognitive complaints matter more than objective performance
Jelena S Siebert1, Tina Braun2, Hans-Werner Wahl3
1Department of Psychological Aging Research, Heidelberg University.
Psychology and Aging
|March 6, 2020
Summary
Negative views on aging predict cognitive decline, but this relationship is complex. Attitudes toward aging impact cognitive changes in older adults, especially when depression is considered.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Cognitive Psychology
- Longitudinal Studies
Background:
- Existing research indicates negative views on aging correlate with accelerated cognitive decline.
- The bidirectional relationship between cognitive functioning and aging attitudes requires further empirical investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential bidirectionality between attitudes toward aging and cognitive functioning over 20 years.
- To examine these relationships across different age groups: midlife and older adults.
Main Methods:
- Utilized 20-year longitudinal data from 1,002 participants in the Interdisciplinary Longitudinal Study of Adult Development (ILSE).
- Employed multigroup latent growth curve modeling to analyze trajectories of aging attitudes, cognitive performance, and cognitive complaints.
- Included participants from two age groups: midlife (Mage = 43.7) and older adults (Mage = 62.5) at baseline.
Main Results:
- Attitude toward aging predicted cognitive change in older adults over 20 years, but this effect was not observed in midlife.
- The predictive effect of aging attitudes on cognitive change in older adults disappeared when controlling for depression over time.
- Subjective cognitive complaints, not objective cognitive performance, were associated with changes in attitudes toward aging in both midlife and older age groups.
Conclusions:
- The impact of aging attitudes on cognitive change is age-specific and influenced by factors like depression.
- Differentiating between subjective cognitive complaints and objective cognitive performance is crucial for understanding the interplay with aging attitudes.
- Findings highlight the importance of considering psychological factors like depression and subjective experiences in aging research.
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