Gender-related facilitators and barriers to participation in research on aging using fuzzy cognitive mapping

In the context of cognitive neuroscience research on aging, older women are often overrepresented in observational research, whereas men are overrepresented in clinical trials. Factors underlying the selection bias between and across genders in research on aging are currently poorly understood. Addressing this knowledge gap is critical to provide guidance on how we might mitigate selection bias and improve the generalizability, robustness, and reproducibility of our findings. We aimed to identify the barriers and facilitating factors that older adults perceive when considering participation in cognitive neuroscience research that were shared across, or that differed between, older women and men. We employed fuzzy cognitive mapping (FCM), a method that facilitates participation in research and action. Maps were co-created individually with research participants to identify factors, and their inter-relationships, that encouraged or hindered their participation in research. These factors were then standardized across maps, categorized through thematic analysis, and organized into group-level causal networks using graph theory methods. Our results indicated that both older women and men perceived individual psychological motivators, the quality of communication with the research team, logistic considerations and research-specific practices as key factors that influenced their participation in research. Dissociable factors between genders were also identified: Prior personal and professional experiences facilitated research engagement in women, whereas willingness to return benefits to the general population encouraged men's research participation. These findings provide insights to guide the development of sampling strategies that enable equitable access to research and enhanced sample representativeness among women and men in research on aging.