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High School Curriculum and Cognitive Function in the Eighth Decade of Life
1Department of Sociology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA.
Alzheimer Disease and Associated Disorders
|August 8, 2024
Summary
Challenging high school curricula, particularly in math and science, are linked to better cognitive function in older adulthood. This suggests curriculum content, not just years of schooling, impacts long-term brain health.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Educational Psychology
- Sociology of Education
Background:
- Formal education (years of schooling) is known to positively influence cognitive health throughout life.
- The specific content and difficulty of educational curricula may further modulate this relationship.
- Challenging high school curricula may enhance socioeconomic attainment, indirectly benefiting later-life cognitive outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if high school curriculum content and difficulty influence the link between education and cognitive health.
- To determine if challenging curricula predict socioeconomic attainment and subsequent cognitive function in older adulthood.
Main Methods:
- Multilevel structural equation models (MSEMs) were employed.
- Data from 2,405 individuals from the Project Talent Aging Study (2018) were analyzed.
- Participants attended one of 1,312 U.S. high schools in 1960.
Main Results:
- A college preparatory curriculum positively correlated with word recall and verbal fluency at age 75.
- Increased math and science coursework in high school also predicted better cognitive performance in older age.
- These associations remained significant after controlling for adolescent cognitive ability, academic performance, socioeconomic background, and school characteristics.
Conclusions:
- The findings highlight the importance of curriculum rigor in shaping long-term cognitive health.
- Educational policy should consider the impact of curriculum design on cognitive trajectories.
- Rigorously designed curricula may offer lasting cognitive benefits beyond simple years of schooling.
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