Short-term variability in subjective memory decline: the influence of age and neuroticism

This study was designed to investigate whether differences in age and neuroticism would predict short-term change in subjective memory decline. The sample consisted of 52 younger adult (M_age = 21.19, sd = 3.22) and 59 older adult volunteers (M_age = 77.52, sd = 8.07). Participants were administered self-report measures and a battery of cognitive tests. A subjective memory decline measure was administered at three time points (baseline, posttest, 2-week follow-up). At T2, the significant predictors of posttest subjective memory decline were age, perceived performance, and neuroticism with a significant age by neuroticism interaction. Older adults who were higher in neuroticism had higher posttest subjective memory decline than other participants. At T3, the only significant predictor of subjective memory decline was age with older adults reporting more perceived decline. This study showed that perceived memory decline, which is often thought to be fairly stable, was reactive to cognitive testing, particularly for older adults who were high in neuroticism.