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Investigating the Effects of Discrimination Experiences on Everyday Metamemory Accuracy
Timothy K Ly1,2, Rebecca S Allen1,2, Jeanne M Cundiff1,2
1Alabama Research Institute on Aging, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA.
Summary
Daily discrimination and negative affect impair metamemory accuracy, impacting cognitive function. Minoritized racial groups also show poorer metamemory, highlighting the link between psychosocial stress and cognition.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Cognitive Science
- Sociology
Background:
- Discrimination is linked to cognitive impairment, but mechanisms remain unclear.
- Metamemory, or awareness of one's memory, is a potential mediator.
- Stress-induced metamemory impairment may explain discrimination's cognitive effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between lifetime/daily discrimination, affect, and metamemory accuracy.
- To investigate sociodemographic factors (age, race, ethnicity, sex) influencing metamemory.
- To analyze these relationships across the lifespan (ages 20-75).
Main Methods:
- Utilized diary data from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS Refresher 1) Daily Diary Project (N=782).
- Employed linear mixed models to analyze within-person and between-person effects.
- Defined impaired metamemory accuracy by the number of subjective cognitive complaints.
Main Results:
- Daily discrimination and negative affect significantly predicted lower metamemory accuracy.
- Minitarized racial groups reported poorer metamemory accuracy (between-person effect).
- Daily discrimination interacted with other variables in predicting metamemory.
Conclusions:
- Daily discrimination and negative affect impair metamemory, increasing subjective cognitive complaints.
- Findings underscore the role of psychosocial stress in cognitive function.
- Future research should explore discrimination's lifelong impact on cognitive outcomes.
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