Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 31, 2025
07:01
Working Memory Training for Older Participants: A Control Group Training Regimen and Initial Intellectual Functioning Assessment
Published on: September 20, 2020
4.8K
Does Voluntary Work Contribute to Cognitive Performance? - An International Systematic Review
Anne Keefer1, Kathrin Steichele1, Elmar Graessel2
1Interdisciplinary Center for Health Technology Assessment (HTA) and Public Health (IZPH), Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.
Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare
|May 2, 2023
Summary
Volunteering may enhance cognitive function and reduce dementia risk. This review found positive associations, particularly benefiting women and those with less education, though study quality varied.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Gerontology
- Public Health
Background:
- Cognitive decline and dementia risk necessitate identifying protective activities.
- Volunteering integrates social, physical, and cognitive engagement.
- Volunteering is a potential factor in mitigating cognitive loss.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review associations between volunteering and cognitive function.
- To identify variables influencing the volunteer-cognition relationship.
- To explore volunteering as a cognitive health intervention.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature search of six databases (2017-2021).
- Inclusion of quantitative studies using objective psychometric tests for cognition.
- Narrative synthesis following PRISMA guidelines with independent quality assessment.
Main Results:
- Fourteen studies met inclusion criteria; seven showed positive cognitive effects.
- Cross-sectional studies also indicated associations between volunteering and cognition.
- Positive impacts were more pronounced in women and individuals with lower education levels.
Conclusions:
- Volunteering appears to improve cognitive function.
- Further research needed on specific volunteer activities and engagement frequency.
- More investigation into risk factors for cognitive impairment is warranted.
Related Concept Videos
01:17Cognitivism
1.5K
Cognitive psychology emerged as a significant field in the mid-20th century. It focused on understanding humans' internal mental processes. This approach emphasizes how people perceive, remember, think, and solve problems—elements critical to human cognition.
Previously dominated by behaviorism, which prioritized observable behaviors and largely ignored mental processes, psychology transformed in the 1950s. Cognitive psychologists argue that understanding how we think and process...
Previously dominated by behaviorism, which prioritized observable behaviors and largely ignored mental processes, psychology transformed in the 1950s. Cognitive psychologists argue that understanding how we think and process...
1.5K
01:24Working Memory
395
Working memory refers to a combination of components, including short-term memory and attention, that allow an individual to hold information temporarily as we perform cognitive tasks. It is an essential cognitive function that enables the execution of complex tasks such as problem-solving, comprehension, and reasoning. Unlike short-term memory, which simply involves the storage of information for a brief period, working memory involves the active manipulation and processing of this...
395
01:23Wechsler's Contribution to Measures of Intelligence
1.5K
David Wechsler, a psychologist who worked with World War I veterans, developed a significant IQ test in 1939 called the Wechsler-Bellevue Intelligence Scale. This test was innovative because it combined several subtests that measured both verbal and nonverbal skills, reflecting Wechsler's belief that intelligence is a global capacity involving purposeful action, rational thinking, and effective interaction with the environment. This test later evolved into the Wechsler Adult Intelligence...
1.5K
01:27Language and Cognition
391
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.
391
01:30Biological Influences on Intelligence
160
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...
160
01:30Cognitive Development During Adulthood
167
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,...
167