Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 30, 2025

Highlighting and Reducing the Impact of Negative Aging Stereotypes During Older Adults' Cognitive Testing
Published on: January 24, 2020
The Interactive Effects of Education and Social Support on Cognition in African Americans
DeAnnah R Byrd1, Yanping Jiang2, Samuele Zilioli3
17864Arizona State University, Phoenix, AZ, USA.
Abstract:
Objectives: This study examines whether the effects of receiving and providing social support on cognition differ by education. Methods: Data from 602 African American adults (48-95 years) enrolled in the Baltimore Study of Black Aging-Patterns of Cognitive Aging were analyzed using multiple linear regression. Results: We found no main effects of receiving or providing social support on global cognition. Main effects for receiving or providing social support on memory were detected. Further, a significant moderation effect was observed for memory, such that received social support was more strongly associated with higher working memory among less-educated individuals than those with high levels of education, adjusting for age, sex, marital status, chronic conditions, and depressive symptoms. Discussion: Study findings demonstrate that social support and education have joint effects on memory outcomes, highlighting the importance of considering psychosocial protective factors that might alleviate, reduce, or even eliminate cognitive health disparities in African Americans.
Related Concept Videos
Social Facilitation
Information Processing Approach
Language and Cognition
Surveys
Social Cognitive Perspective on Personality
Cognitive Development During Adolescence

