Participant motivation typologies as correlates of study participation and retention in randomized controlled trials...

Participants' motivations may explain why they participate in Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) research. Drawing on the Activator, Motivator, Outside mediator, Re-enforcer (AMOR) model of research engagement, this article utilized a mixed methods design to (a) explore participants' reasons for participating and, in some cases, withdrawing from computerized cognitive training studies and (b) connect these reasons to study retention.

Our convenience sample included community-dwelling adults (N = 423) between 55 and 88 years (M = 67.45, SD = 7.22) from two randomized controlled trials involving computerized cognitive training (Everyday Function Intervention Trial, NCT04651582; Elucidating the Necessary Active Components of Training, NCT05366023). The authors analyzed participants' reasons for participating (shared via written responses) and, when relevant, stated reasons for withdrawing (ascertained via study personnel's notes in participant files) using inductive coding then theoretically informed pattern coding. Associations between reasons for participation and study retention were examined using chi-square tests and logistic regression.

Primary reasons for participating in research included activating and motivating factors; reasons for withdrawing included outside contextual factors and re-enforcers. Re-enforcers were particularly relevant for withdrawals during the cognitive training phase. Participation reasons were not associated with reasons for, nor likelihood of, withdrawal.

Findings support an adapted version of the AMOR model for explaining research engagement. Reasons for participating in and withdrawing from trials for computerized cognitive training are nuanced with participants considering multiple factors in their decisions. Applying models of research engagement is critical for identifying and refining recruitment and retention efforts.