The stability of preferences in older adults with and without dementia

Physical activity participation is a non-pharmaceutical intervention that can be utilized to maintain and improve cognitive function in aging adults. Although simple physical activities yield positive results in regards to cognitive function, cognitively and motorically complex physical activities may have an even greater benefit on neuroplasticity for older adults. Commercially available products such as physical activity apps or exergames offer this population a means to engage in regular physical activity on their own. However, a taxonomy is necessary to help distinguish simpler physical activities from more complex physical activities. The taxonomy proposed in this paper carefully considers the following characteristics: the stability or transport of the body, object manipulation, intertrial variability, the environmental context and the reaction or to others. The dimensions of the taxonomy are operationally defined and practical applications are provided.

Download Full-text

YOUNG PEOPLE FEEL WISE, OLD PEOPLE FEEL ENERGETIC: COMPARING AGE STEREOTYPES AND SELF-EVALUATIONS ACROSS ADULTHOOD

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.2898 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S787-S787

Author(s):

Anna E Kornadt ◽

Catherine E Bowen ◽

Svenja M Spuling ◽

Maja Wiest

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Young People ◽

Age Groups ◽

Frame Of Reference ◽

Questionnaire Data ◽

Old People ◽

Younger Adults ◽

Age Stereotypes ◽

The Stability

Abstract Using questionnaire data from the MIDUS study (N=6.325) we examined the extent to which people in their late 20s, 40s, and 60s think that positive stereotypic “old” and “young” characteristics describe themselves, their age peers, and other age groups. A constellation of “old” characteristics (e.g., wise, caring, calm) was seen as more descriptive of older adults, while a constellation of “young” characteristics (e.g., healthy, energetic) was seen as more descriptive of younger adults. Self-evaluations were highly positive and largely consistent across age groups. Compared to their age peers, younger adults saw themselves as having as many positive “young” characteristics but more positive “old” characteristics whereas older adults saw themselves as having more positive “young” characteristics but fewer positive “old” characteristics. The results support the stability of the aging self despite the existence of age stereotypes and the role of negative age stereotypes as a frame of reference for making self-evaluations.

Download Full-text

A longitudinal study of the stability, variability, and interdependencies among late-differentiated T and NK cell subsets in older adults

Experimental Gerontology ◽

10.1016/j.exger.2019.03.006 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 121 ◽

pp. 46-54 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Rebecca G. Reed ◽

Ahmad Al-Attar ◽

Steven R. Presnell ◽

Charles T. Lutz ◽

Suzanne C. Segerstrom

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Longitudinal Study ◽

Nk Cell ◽

The Stability

Download Full-text

The Stability of Preferences for Life-sustaining Care among Persons with AIDS in the Boston Health Study

Medical Decision Making ◽

10.1177/0272989x9901900103 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

pp. 16-26 ◽

Cited By ~ 34

Author(s):

Joel S. Weissman ◽

Jennifer S. Haas ◽

Floyd J. Fowler ◽

Constantine Gatsonis ◽

Michael P. Massagli ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Study ◽

The Stability ◽

Stability Of Preferences

Download Full-text

The Stability of Time Estimation in Older Adults

The International Journal of Aging and Human Development ◽

10.2190/ag.78.3.c ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 78 (3) ◽

pp. 259-276 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Jonathan W. Anderson ◽

Alicia Rueda ◽

Maureen Schmitter-Edgecombe

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Time Estimation ◽

The Stability

Download Full-text

With Age Comes Wisdom

Psychological Science ◽

10.1177/0956797611420301 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 22 (11) ◽

pp. 1375-1380 ◽

Cited By ~ 76

Author(s):

Darrell A. Worthy ◽

Marissa A. Gorlick ◽

Jennifer L. Pacheco ◽

David M. Schnyer ◽

W. Todd Maddox

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Decision Making ◽

Fundamental Difference ◽

Behavioral Changes ◽

Younger Adults ◽

Independent Task ◽

The Stability ◽

The Way

In two experiments, younger and older adults performed decision-making tasks in which reward values available were either independent of or dependent on the previous sequence of choices made. The choice-independent task involved learning and exploiting the options that gave the highest rewards on each trial. In this task, the stability of the expected reward for each option was not influenced by the previous choices participants made. The choice-dependent task involved learning how each choice influenced future rewards for two options and making the best decisions based on that knowledge. Younger adults performed better when rewards were independent of choice, whereas older adults performed better when rewards were dependent on choice. These findings suggest a fundamental difference in the way in which younger adults and older adults approach decision-making situations. We discuss the results in the context of prominent decision-making theories and offer possible explanations based on neurobiological and behavioral changes associated with aging.

Download Full-text

Human aging alters Bayesian social inference about others’ changing intentions

10.31234/osf.io/3etup ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Andrea M.F. Reiter ◽

Andreea Oliviana Diaconescu ◽

Ben Eppinger ◽

Shu-Chen Li

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Age Differences ◽

Time Varying ◽

Social Environments ◽

Bayesian Modelling ◽

Future Studies ◽

Adult Age ◽

Social Inference ◽

The Stability ◽

Social Uncertainty

Decoding others’ intentions accurately in order to adapt one’s own behavior is pivotal throughout life. Yet, it is a process that is imbued with uncertainty since others’ intentions are not directly observable and may change over time. In this study, we asked the question of how younger and older adults deal with uncertainty in dynamic social environments. We used an advice-taking paradigm together with biologically plausible hierarchical Bayesian modelling to characterize effects and mechanisms of aging on learning about others’ time-varying intentions. We observed age differences when comparing learning on two levels of social uncertainty: the fidelity of the adviser and the stability of intentions. We found that, prior to having any experience with the adviser, older adults expected the adviser to change his/her intentions more frequently. They also showed higher confidence in such beliefs and were less willing to change their beliefs over the course of the experiment. This led them to update their predictions about observable outcomes (i.e., advice correctness) more quickly. Potentially indicative of stereotype effects, we also observed that older advisers were perceived as more volatile, but at the same time, more faithful than younger advisers. Together these findings offer new insights into the behavioral and algorithmic mechanisms underlying adult age differences in response to social uncertainty, putatively driven by aging-related changes in neuromodulation to be tested in future studies.

Download Full-text