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Working Memory Training for Older Participants: A Control Group Training Regimen and Initial Intellectual Functioning Assessment
Published on: September 20, 2020
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High School Curricular Rigor and Cognitive Function among White Older Adults
Sara M Moorman1, Jooyoung Kong2
1Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA.
Journal of Health and Social Behavior
|October 22, 2024
Summary
A rigorous high school curriculum, beyond years of schooling, is linked to better cognitive aging. This educational factor benefits cognitive function later in life, especially for men and those from higher socioeconomic backgrounds.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Educational Psychology
- Sociology of Education
Background:
- The link between education and cognitive aging is well-established, with most research focusing on years of schooling.
- Less is known about the impact of educational quality, specifically high school curriculum rigor, on cognitive function in later life.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if a more rigorous high school curriculum is associated with better cognitive function in later life.
- To examine the mediating role of degree attainment and the moderating effects of sex and socioeconomic status.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, including 2,749 participants graduating from 308 Wisconsin high schools in 1957.
- Employed multilevel structural equation models to analyze the association between high school curriculum rigor and cognitive function in 2020 (age 81).
- Controlled for individual academic ability, performance, and school-level resources.
Main Results:
- A more rigorous high school curriculum was significantly associated with better global cognitive functioning in later life.
- Degree attainment significantly mediated this relationship.
- The positive effects of a rigorous curriculum were most pronounced for men and participants from high socioeconomic status families.
Conclusions:
- High school curriculum rigor is an important, understudied factor in cognitive aging.
- Educational policies should consider curriculum quality to promote long-term cognitive health.
- Targeted interventions may be beneficial for specific demographic groups.
Keywords:
aging and the life courseeducational attainmentgendersecondary schoolingsocioeconomic statusMore Related Videos
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