Positive, but Not Negative, Self-Perceptions of Aging Predict Cognitive Function Among Older Adults

2020 ◽  
pp. 009141502091768 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kellie E. Brown ◽  
Jeehoon Kim ◽  
Tara Stewart ◽  
Erika Fulton ◽  
Anna C. McCarrey
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Regression Analyses ◽  
Neuropsychological Battery ◽  
Short Delay ◽  
Older Adulthood ◽  
Self Perceptions ◽  
Two Measures ◽  
Perceptions Of Aging

Self-perceptions of aging (SPA) refer to attitudes about one’s aging process and are linked to physical health and longevity. How SPA correlates with cognitive function in older adulthood is less well known. 136 older adults were administered a multifaceted SPA measure, The Brief Ageing Perceptions Questionnaire (B-APQ), in addition to a demographic form and a comprehensive neuropsychological battery. Positive and negative subscales of the B-APQ were correlated with aspects of cognitive function. Regression analyses revealed that only the positive B-APQ subscales predicted mental status ( β = .19, p < .05), short-delay memory ( β = .16, p < .05), processing speed ( β = −.21, p < .05), and two measures of executive function ( β = −.21, p < .01; β = .18, p < .05). This is the first study to demonstrate that positive dimensions of SPA relate to cognitive function in older adulthood.

scholarly journals A-014 Positive, but not negative, self-perceptions of aging predict cognitive function in older adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 804-804
Author(s):  
Brown K ◽  
Mccarrey A
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Executive Function ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Aging Process ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Neuropsychological Battery ◽  
Older Adulthood ◽  
Self Perceptions ◽  
Multidimensional Measure ◽  
Perceptions Of Aging

Abstract Objective Self-perceptions of aging (SPA) refer to expectations and attitudes about one’s aging process and are robustly linked to physical health and longevity outcomes. How SPA correlates with cognitive function in older adulthood is less well known. Thus, the present study sought to examine how a multidimensional measure of SPA correlated with older adult’s performance on a comprehensive neuropsychological battery. Method 136 community-dwelling older adults (Mage = 70.18, SDage = 5.79 years) from Southeast Idaho were administered a multidimensional measure of SPA; The Brief Ageing Perceptions Questionnaire (B-APQ). This 17-item questionnaire requires participants to rate their agreement with positive and negative statements concerning their aging process. Participants were also administered a demographics form and a comprehensive neuropsychological battery that included measures of memory, attention and executive function. Results Both positive and negative subscales of the B-APQ were correlated with various aspects of cognitive function. After controlling for age, sex and education, regression analyses revealed that positive subscales of the B-APQ predicted mental status (β = .19, p &lt; .05), short-delay memory (β = .16, p &lt; .05), processing speed (β = −.21, p &lt; .05) and two measures of executive function (β = −.21, p &lt; .01; β = .18, p &lt; .05). The negative subscales of the B-APQ were not predictive of any cognitive domain. Conclusion This is the first study to demonstrate that independent of selected sociodemographic factors, positive, but not negative dimensions of SPA relate to a wide range of cognitive abilities in older adulthood. We discuss our results in terms of positive psychology and the potential for interventions to improve cognitive function in older adults.

scholarly journals Polyvictimization and Cognitive Function in an Ethnic Minority Aging Population

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 427-427
Author(s):  
XinQi Dong ◽  
Mengting Li
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Regression Analyses ◽  
Community Settings ◽  
Multiple Forms ◽  
Financial Exploitation ◽  
Global Cognition

Abstract Globally, around 1 in 6 older adults experienced some form of elder mistreatment in community settings. However, little is known about the prevalence of polyvictimization, or experience of multiple forms of abuse, which may exacerbate negative outcomes over that of any one form of victimization in isolation. Data were drawn from the PINE study. Polyvictimization was defined as exposure to multiple forms of victimization, including psychological, physical, and sexual mistreatment, financial exploitation, and caregiver neglect. Cognitive function was evaluated by global cognition, episodic memory, executive function, working memory, and MMSE. Regression analyses were performed. Among 3153 participants, 128 experienced two forms of abuse while 12 experienced three or more forms of abuse. Polyvictimization was associated with lower global cognition (b=-0.05, SE=0.02, p&lt;.05), episodic memory (b=-0.06, SE=0.03, p&lt;.05), working memory (b=-0.14, SE=0.07, p&lt;.05), and processing speed (b=-0.68, SE=0.33, p&lt;.05). Interventions could target older adults with polyvictimization and protect their cognitive function.

scholarly journals What is the Relationship between Functional Limitations, Pain, and Self-Perceptions of Aging?

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 607-608
Author(s):  
Jillian Minahan ◽  
Ashley Blasi
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Functional Limitations ◽  
Interactive Effect ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Negative Stereotypes ◽  
Older Adulthood ◽  
Self Perceptions ◽  
Perceptions Of Aging ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Self-perceptions of aging (SPA) influences health and mortality during older adulthood (e.g., Kotter-Grühn et al., 2009; Sargent-Cox et al., 2012). Westerhof and Wurm (2015) found that increasing functional limitations (FL) worsened older adults’ SPA. Additional research is needed to identify other factors that influence SPA. Although pain is common among older adults and is a frequent cause of disability (e.g., Brooks et al., 2019), it has not been examined as a factor influencing SPA. Pain is often misperceived as an inevitable part of aging because of widely held negative stereotypes about aging (Thielke et al., 2012). The experience of pain may activate internalized negative stereotypes about aging, which may worsen SPA. Thus, this study investigated: 1) the relationship between chronic and recent pain, FL, and SPA, and 2) the interactive effect of FL and pain on SPA within a sample of community-dwelling adults aged 65 years and older. This study included 5,126 participants from the 2014 wave of the Health and Retirement Study. Controlling for covariates, chronic pain (β = .09, p &lt; .001) and recent pain (β = .12, p &lt; .001) were associated with negative SPA and were stronger than FL (β = .04, p &lt; .01). There was also a small interaction between FL and recent pain on SPA (β = -.03, p &lt; .01) such that the negative impact of FL on SPA was stronger among individuals who reported low pain. These findings highlight the importance of pain in older adults’ evaluation of their own aging.

scholarly journals Self-Perceptions of Aging, Cognitive Function, and Physical Activity

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 883-883
Author(s):  
Caitlin Connelly
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Self Perceptions ◽  
Intervention Point ◽  
Perceptions Of Aging ◽  
Embodiment Theory

Abstract Stereotype embodiment theory suggests that internalized aging stereotypes will influence subsequent physical and cognitive health for older adults. This is proposed to occur through behavioral, physiological, and psychological pathways. Guided by stereotype embodiment theory, this study examined the how self-perceptions of aging are associated with cognitive function and the mediating role of physical activity as a behavioral pathway. The sample consists of 7,990 community-dwelling older adults age 65 from the Health and Retirement Study. Cross-sectional data analyses were conducted using bivariate and multivariate linear regression. Positive self-perceptions of aging were significantly associated with better cognitive function. Physical activity partially mediated the association between self-perceptions of aging and cognitive function. Findings suggest that self-perceptions of aging are important for cognitive function and physical activity may help to explain this relationship. Self-perceptions of aging may serve a possible intervention point to increase physical activity engagement and improve cognitive function.

Bidirectional Associations Between Self-Perceptions of Aging and Processing Speed Across 3 Years

GeroPsych ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 49-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna L. Seidler ◽  
Julia K. Wolff
Keyword(s):  
Processing Speed ◽  
Personal Growth ◽  
Significant Loss ◽  
Path Model ◽  
Outcome Variable ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Self Perceptions ◽  
Chi Squared ◽  
Perceptions Of Aging ◽  
Bidirectional Associations

Abstract. Background: Previous studies point to a potential relationship between self-perceptions of aging (SPA) and cognitive performance. However, most of these studies are limited by their experimental design. Previous longitudinal studies looked solely at memory as an outcome variable without examining the directionality of effects. The present study examines the direction of effects between two domains of SPA (personal growth and physical losses) and processing speed (PS). Methods: The sample consists of 8,198 participants of the German Ageing Survey (DEAS), aged between 40 and 93 years. A cross-lagged path model was estimated to examine directions of relationships across 3 years via chi-squared difference tests for each domain of SPA. Results: In the unconstrained models, the effect of SPA domain personal growth in 2008 on PS in 2011 and vice versa were marginally significant. For SPA domain physical losses, the effect of SPA on PS was significant, whereas the other direction of the effect did not reach significance. However, the cross-lagged paths of both domains of SPA on PS and vice versa could be set equal without a significant loss of model fit. The resulting associations indicate a significant bidirectional relationship between both domains of SPA and PS. Discussion and conclusion: This study provides initial evidence that SPA can influence trajectories of cognitive decline and vice versa. The results emphasize the detrimental and beneficial effects that stereotypes can have on individuals and add further evidence to the theory of stereotype embodiment.

scholarly journals The Association Between Recent Family Death and Self-Perceptions of Aging Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 450-450
Author(s):  
Shu Xu
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Child Death ◽  
Parental Death ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Self Perceptions ◽  
Perceptions Of Aging ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Family Loss

Abstract The loss of a family member may have a significant influence on one’s aging experience in life. Self-perceptions of aging, which are an individual’s beliefs or evaluation of their experiences of aging, have been described as an important factor for one’s health and daily life. However, there is little research on the association between family death and self-perceptions of aging. This study examines the relationships between recent family death, self-perceptions of aging, and gender of the bereaved among middle-aged and older adults. Using nationally representative data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), we conducted cross-sectional analysis on adults age 50 years and older (n=1,839). Self-perceptions of aging were accessed by 8 items derived from the Attitudes Toward Own Aging subscale of the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale and the Berlin Aging Study, and we considered recent family death (i.e., parental death, spousal death, sibling death and child death), as well as gender of the bereaved. Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that respondents who experienced recent family death report less positive self-perceptions of aging compared to those who did not experience recent family death (t = 12.40, p &lt; .01). Recent parental death was more negatively related with self-perceptions of aging for bereaved women than for bereaved men (χ2 = 4.28, p &lt; .05). Findings suggest that middle-aged and older adults experiencing recent family loss have less positive self-perceptions of aging, and gender of the bereaved plays an important role in the relationship between parental death and self-perceptions of aging.

scholarly journals The Role of Self-Perceptions of Aging for Recovery of Older Adults After a Hospital Stay

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 588-588
Author(s):  
Anne Blawert ◽  
Ellen Freiberger ◽  
Susanne Wurm
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Hospital Stay ◽  
Physical Function ◽  
Fear Of Falling ◽  
Health Events ◽  
Self Perceptions ◽  
Perceptions Of Aging ◽  
One Year ◽  
Psychological Pathway

Abstract For older adults, a hospital stay can lead to loss of physical function and frailty. It is therefore important to investigate factors for recovery after hospitalization. Recent studies suggest negative self-perceptions of aging (SPA) as a potential risk factor in the context of serious health events. This ongoing longitudinal study investigates how negative SPA might contribute to worse physical recovery (assessed with the Short Physical Performance Battery) after hospital stay in a sample of 244 German adults aged 75 to 96. Preliminary mediation analysis based on available data of the first 50 participants indicate that negative SPA is related to increased fear of falling after 6 months, which predicts worse physical function one year after hospitalization (indirect effect: B = -0.70, SE = 0.41, p = .09). The results stress the importance of SPA for health recovery in old age and introduce fear of falling as a psychological pathway.

scholarly journals Changing our thinking about changing their thinking in older adulthood

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (9) ◽  
pp. 1405-1407
Author(s):  
Viviana M. Wuthrich
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Cognitive Flexibility ◽  
Cognitive Deficits ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Cognitive Changes ◽  
Older Adulthood ◽  
New Learning

It is well-established that as people age, deterioration in cognitive abilities including processing speed, memory, and cognitive flexibility occurs, although vast individual differences occur in the rate and consequences of this decline (Christensen, 2001). Anxiety and depression in late life are also associated with specific cognitive deficits in memory and executive functioning that may impact on new learning (Yochim et al., 2013). Therefore, it is possible that cognitive changes make it more difficult for older adults to learn how to change their thinking particularly in the context of psychological therapy.

scholarly journals When Culture Influences Genes: Positive Age Beliefs Amplify the Cognitive-Aging Benefit of APOE ε2

2020 ◽  
Vol 75 (8) ◽  
pp. e198-e203
Author(s):  
Becca R Levy ◽  
Martin D Slade ◽  
Robert H Pietrzak ◽  
Luigi Ferrucci
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Self Perceptions ◽  
Cognitive Benefit ◽  
Study Participants ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Retirement Study

Abstract Objectives Most studies of aging cognition have focused on risk factors for worse performance and on either genetic or environmental factors. In contrast, we examined whether 2 factors known to individually benefit aging cognition may interact to produce better cognition: environment-based positive age beliefs and the APOE ε2 gene. Method The sample consisted of 3,895 Health and Retirement Study participants who were 60 years or older at baseline and completed as many as 5 assessments of cognition over 8 years. Results As predicted, positive age beliefs amplified the cognitive benefit of APOE ε2. In contrast, negative age beliefs suppressed the cognitive benefit of APOE ε2. We also found that positive age beliefs contributed nearly 15 times more than APOE ε2 to better cognition. Discussion This study provides the first known evidence that self-perceptions can influence the impact of a gene on cognition. The results underscore the importance of combined psychosocial and biological approaches to understanding cognitive function in older adults.

scholarly journals ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN DSM-5 PERSONALITY PATHOLOGY AND HORNEY’S INTERPERSONAL TRENDS AMONG OLDER ADULTS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S162-S163
Author(s):  
Daniel L Segal ◽  
Lisa E Stone ◽  
Frederick L Coolidge ◽  
Gabrielle Krus
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Zero Order ◽  
Personality Pathology ◽  
Strongly Correlated ◽  
Regression Analyses ◽  
Limited Evidence ◽  
Dsm 5 ◽  
Two Measures ◽  
Compliance Model

Abstract Introduction: The Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5) is a measure of the alternative model of personality disorders with limited evidence of validity among older adults. This study examined validity of the model through associations with the Horney-Coolidge Tridimensional Inventory (HCTI). Method: Older adults (N=125) completed the PID-5 and the HCTI. Results: Zero-order correlations were computed between the PID-5’s five domains (Negative Affect, Detachment, Antagonism, Disinhibition, and Psychoticism) and the HCTI’s three domains (Compliance, Aggression, and Detachment). Compliance was moderately negatively correlated with Detachment (r = -.27), as expected. Aggression was significantly positively related to all five PID-5 domains and was most strongly correlated with Antagonism (r = .56), Psychoticism (r = .48), and Disinhibition (r = .32). As predicted, Horney’s Detachment was most strongly related to the PID-5’s Detachment (r = .48). Regression analyses were also conducted with PID-5 domains predicting each HCTI type. The Compliance model was significant, with PID-5 domains predicting 13% of variability in Compliance. Negative Affect (positive) and Detachment (negative) were significant predictors. The Aggression model was also significant, with the PID-5 domains accounting for 40% of variability. Antagonism was the only significant positive predictor. Lastly, the Detachment model was significant, with the PID-5 domains predicting 29% of variance in Detachment scores. Negative Affect (negative) and Detachment (positive) were significant predictors. Discussion: Results indicate that the two measures of personality pathology generally converge regarding theoretically similar constructs and diverge around dissimilar domains, providing evidence of validity of the PID-5 for its ability to capture personality traits.

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