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The Factor Structure of Items Assessing Subjective Memory: Between-Persons and Within-Persons across Time
Jacqueline Mogle1, Nikki L Hill2, Tyler Reed Bell3
1Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA, jam935@psu.edu.
Gerontology
|March 11, 2021
Summary
Subjective memory (SM) items assess different dimensions within individuals over time but measure a single dimension between individuals. A single item may suffice for monitoring memory changes in older adults.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Cognitive Psychology
- Psychometrics
Background:
- Longitudinal studies on aging often use limited measures for subjective memory (SM).
- Understanding the psychometric properties of SM items is crucial for early detection of cognitive change.
- Investigating how SM items cluster over time can enhance their utility as cognitive change indicators.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the factor structure of subjective memory (SM) items.
- To analyze the within-person and between-person factor structures of SM items in a longitudinal aging study.
- To clarify the multidimensionality of SM in the context of cognitive aging.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Einstein Aging Study, a longitudinal cohort of 1,239 older adults.
- Administered 6 SM items annually, assessing perceived memory decline and current memory ability.
- Employed multilevel exploratory factor analyses to determine the best factor solution at within-person and between-person levels.
Main Results:
- The factor structure of SM items differed between within-person and between-person levels.
- Two factors emerged at the within-person level, while a single factor best represented SM at the between-person level.
- Items on perceived memory decline showed similar trajectories; items on current memory ability were less related to change over time.
Conclusions:
- SM items appear to assess two dimensions within individuals but capture a single dimension between individuals.
- The findings suggest that a single item on perceived memory decline may be adequate for monitoring memory changes in older adults.
- This has implications for the measurement of SM in clinical and research settings for cognitive aging.
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