Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Gerontology
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Working memory (WM) declines with age and neurodegenerative diseases.
• Previous research on technology use and WM in older adults yields mixed results.
• WM involves retaining and manipulating verbal information.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between daily technology use frequency and WM in older adults.
• To explore the influence of digital competencies, education, and age on this relationship.

Main Methods:

• 66 participants over 60 completed a reverse sentence WM test.
• Participants also completed the Digital Competencies Questionnaire and a technology use frequency test.
• Kendall's Tau correlation was used due to non-normal data distribution.

Main Results:

• Significant positive correlations found between WM and digital competencies, technology use frequency, and education level.
• A significant negative correlation was observed between WM and age.
• Older participants generally exhibited lower WM scores.

Conclusions:

• Higher education acts as a protective factor against cognitive decline in aging.
• Increased digital competencies and frequent technology use are linked to better WM and autonomy in older adults.
• Promoting technology access can enhance digital skills and support cognitive function in the elderly.