The Impact of Stereotype Threat on Memory and Cognition in Older Adults

2021 ◽  
pp. 019394592110297
Author(s):  
Graham J. McDougall ◽  
Todd B. Monroe ◽  
Keenan A. Pituch ◽  
Michael A. Carter ◽  
Laurie Abbott
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Stereotype Threat ◽  
Verbal Memory ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Training Group ◽  
Memory Training ◽  
Unique Contribution ◽  
Healthy Older Adults ◽  
Bivariate Correlation ◽  
The Impact

Cultural stereotypes that equate aging with decreased competence and increased forgetfulness have persisted for decades. Stereotype threat (ST) refers to the psychological discomfort people experience when confronted by a negative, self-relevant stereotype in a situation where their behavior could be construed as confirming that belief. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships of ST on memory performance in older adults over 24 months. The ST levels on average significantly declined, or improved in the memory training, but not the health training group. Although not significant at the .01 level, the bivariate correlation indicated that change in ST was moderately related to change in verbal memory, suggesting the possibility that improvements (or reductions) in ST may be related to increases in verbal memory scores. We discovered that the unique contribution of ST into the memory performance of healthy older adults offers a possible malleable trait.

scholarly journals Prognostic Models for Changes in Memory Performance After Memory Training in Healthy Older Adults: a Systematic Review

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mandy Roheger ◽  
Ann-Kristin Folkerts ◽  
Fabian Krohm ◽  
Nicole Skoetz ◽  
Elke Kalbe
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Prognostic Factors ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Prognostic Models ◽  
Memory Training ◽  
Long Term Memory ◽  
Healthy Older Adults ◽  
Short And Long Term ◽  
Future Outcomes

Abstract Identifying individuals’ profiles of prognostic factors that predict improvements after nonpharmacological interventions such as memory trainings may help to not only predict individuals’ future outcomes after such intervention, but also tailor new trainings for individuals with specific characteristics. However, until now, no systematic review on prognostic models, defined as a set of multiple prognostic factors to predict a future outcome, for changes in memory performance after memory training exist. MEDLINE, Web of Science Core Collection, CENTRAL, and PsycInfo were searched up to November 2019 to identify studies investigating prognostic models on verbal and non-verbal short- and long-term memory after conducting memory training in healthy older adults. The PROBAST tool was used to assess risk of bias. After screening n = 10,703 studies, n = 12 studies were included. These studies and the investigated statistical models are highly heterogeneous, so that conclusions are limited. However, one consistent result was that lower age combined with higher education seems to predict higher improvements after memory training. More studies on prognostic models for memory changes after memory training have to be conducted before clear conclusions which will help to tailor memory trainings to individuals’ profiles can be drawn. Registration: CRD42018105803, https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO

A Meta-analysis of Cognitive Training on Memory Functioning in Normal Elderly Adults

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S609-S609 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Piryaei ◽  
M. Khademi Ashkzari
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Memory Training ◽  
Everyday Functioning ◽  
Healthy Older Adults ◽  
Training Interventions ◽  
Memory Functioning ◽  
Study Heterogeneity ◽  
Competing Interest

IntroductionThe major issues in cognitive literature related to memory and aging concentrate on the different methodological issues in research examining the effectiveness of memory training programs in improving memory performance of older adults along with the clinical implications of this kind of research.ObjectivesThe review will address how researchers differ within their collection of participants, the various aspects of memory intervention programs by a systematic review on recent researches.AimsThe present study aims to review the cognitive literature related to memory and aging through a meta-analysis in recent years.MethodMeta-analysis was conducted of researches on memory training interventions for cognitively normal/healthy older adults published in 1995–2014. Computerized databases (e.g PsychInfo) were searched using combinations of these key words in English: memory, mnemonic, rehabilitation, older adult, aging, elderly and impairment. All participants must be at least 55 years old at the time of training/intervention. Due to the fact and Studies must have used a non-pharmacological approach toward memory or memory problems. Between-study heterogeneity was quantified using χ2 and I2 statistics. All analyses were performed utilizing the CMA2.ResultsEffect sizes with 95% confidence intervals for each study indicated that the overall pre-post training gain was 0.37 SD (95% CI: 0.18, 0.47) and the mean retest effect among control groups was 0.11 SD (95% CI: −0.11, 0.16) and this difference was statistically significant (P < 0.001).ConclusionThe key challenge of memory training studies is that they often don’t train abilities that generalize to everyday functioning. These results have numerous clinical and practical implications.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

scholarly journals Comparing Web-Based and Classroom-Based Memory Training for Older Adults: The ACTIVE Memory Works™ Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 75 (6) ◽  
pp. 1132-1143
Author(s):  
George W Rebok ◽  
Marian Tzuang ◽  
Jeanine M Parisi
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Training Group ◽  
Memory Training ◽  
Training Effects ◽  
Everyday Functioning ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Healthy Older Adults ◽  
Program Satisfaction

Abstract Objectives To compare the efficacy of a web-based versus a classroom-based memory training program in enhancing cognition and everyday functioning in older adults, and program satisfaction and acceptability. Method Participants (N = 208; mean age = 71.1) were randomly assigned to a web-based or classroom-based training, or to a wait-list control condition. Cognitive and everyday functioning measures were administered at baseline, immediate, and 6 months post-training; both training groups evaluated program satisfaction and acceptability at immediate post-training. Repeated-measures analyses of variance assessed training effects on cognitive and functioning outcomes; independent-samples t tests assessed group differences in program satisfaction and acceptability. Results Compared to controls, neither training group showed a significant improvement on measures of memory or everyday functioning as assessed by dependence or difficulty on instrumental activities of daily living over time. Training effects did not transfer to non-trained cognitive abilities. The web-based group was as satisfied with the training as the classroom-based group (p &gt; .05). Discussion Although no significant training effects were found, we demonstrated that a web-based platform is an acceptable and feasible mode to provide memory training to healthy older adults. Further studies are needed to investigate the potential of web-based memory training programs for improving cognition and function in cognitively healthy older adults.

scholarly journals Dorsolateral Prefrontal Functional Connectivity Predicts Working Memory Training Gains

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sofia Faraza ◽  
Julia Waldenmaier ◽  
Martin Dyrba ◽  
Dominik Wolf ◽  
Florian U. Fischer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Performance Improvement ◽  
Cognitive Training ◽  
Digit Span ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Training Group ◽  
Memory Training ◽  
Activation Patterns ◽  
Healthy Older Adults ◽  
Dorsolateral Prefrontal

Background: Normal aging is associated with working memory decline. A decrease in working memory performance is associated with age-related changes in functional activation patterns in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Cognitive training can improve cognitive performance in healthy older adults. We implemented a cognitive training study to assess determinants of generalization of training gains to untrained tasks, a key indicator for the effectiveness of cognitive training. We aimed to investigate the association of resting-state functional connectivity (FC) of DLPFC with working memory performance improvement and cognitive gains after the training.Method: A sample of 60 healthy older adults (mean age: 68 years) underwent a 4-week neuropsychological training, entailing a working memory task. Baseline resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) images were acquired in order to investigate the FC of DLPFC. To evaluate training effects, participants underwent a neuropsychological assessment before and after the training. A second follow-up assessment was applied 12 weeks after the training. We used cognitive scores of digit span backward and visual block span backward tasks representing working memory function. The training group was divided into subjects who had and who did not have training gains, which was defined as a higher improvement in working memory tasks than the control group (N = 19).Results: A high FC of DLPFC of the right hemisphere was significantly associated with training gains and performance improvement in the visuospatial task. The maintenance of cognitive gains was restricted to the time period directly after the training. The training group showed performance improvement in the digit span backward task.Conclusion: Functional activation patterns of the DLPFC were associated with the degree of working memory training gains and visuospatial performance improvement. Although improvement through cognitive training and acquisition of training gains are possible in aging, they remain limited.

Memory Rehabilitation in Healthy Aging

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole D. Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Strategy Training ◽  
Memory Training ◽  
Everyday Functioning ◽  
Memory Rehabilitation ◽  
The Impact

Healthy aging is accompanied by decrements in episodic memory and working memory. Significant efforts have therefore been made to augment episodic and working memory in healthy older adults. Two principal approaches toward memory rehabilitation adults are restorative approaches and compensatory approaches. Restorative approaches aim to repair the affected memory processes by repeated, adaptive practice (i.e., the trained task becomes more difficult as participants improve), and have focused on recollection training, associative memory training, object-location memory training, and working memory training. The majority of these restorative approaches have been proved to be efficacious, that is, participants improve on the trained task, and there is considerable evidence for maintenance of training effects weeks or months after the intervention is discontinued. Transfer of restorative training approaches has been more elusive and appears limited to other tasks relying on the same domains or processes. Compensatory approaches to memory strive to bypass the impairment by teaching people mnemonic and lifestyle strategies to bolster memory performance. Specific mnemonic strategy training approaches as well as multimodal compensatory approaches that combine strategy training with counseling about other factors that affect memory (e.g., memory self-efficacy, relaxation, exercise, and cognitive and social engagement) have demonstrated that older adults can learn new mnemonics and implement them to the benefit of memory performance, and can adjust their views and expectations about their memory to better cope with the changes that occur during healthy aging. Future work should focus on identifying the personal characteristics that predict who will benefit from training and on developing objective measures of the impact of memory rehabilitation on older adults’ everyday functioning.

scholarly journals The Impact of Memory Stereotype Threat on Memory and Memory Self-Efficacy in Older Adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 326-327
Author(s):  
Lauren Fredriksen ◽  
Renee’ Zucchero ◽  
Brock Partlow ◽  
Ruth Infante ◽  
Janie Taylor ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Stereotype Threat ◽  
Verbal Memory ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Level Of Education ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Impact

Abstract This study examined the impact of memory stereotype threat on memory duration (e.g., short-term and long-term) and modality (e.g., verbal and non-verbal), and memory self-efficacy in older adults who live independently (Mage = 77 years). Participants (N= 66) were randomly assigned to a group that received either neutral instructions or memory stereotype threat inducing instructions. All participants completed the California Verbal Memory Test-Second Edition (CVLT-2), the Rey Complex Figure Test (RCFT), a memory self-efficacy measure, and a demographics survey. An independent samples t-test indicated participants in the stereotype threat group reported significantly lower memory self-efficacy than participants in the neutral group. The main effect of the within-subjects factor of a 2x2 mixed analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated that participants performed significantly better on short-term non-verbal memory than long-term non-verbal memory. There was no significant difference between the neutral and stereotype threat groups in memory modality or duration. These results may indicate that the instructions used to induce memory stereotype threat were not phrased strongly enough to elicit poorer performance on the CVLT-2 and RCFT in the memory stereotype threat group. Additionally, participants reported having a high level of education (i.e., a master’s degree was the modal educational level), which may have served as a buffer for memory stereotype threat. The findings call for future research to explore the impact of level of education on memory self-efficacy in older adults. Also, future research may focus on the impact of the strength of memory stereotype threat on memory performance.

scholarly journals The Impact of Naturalistic Age Stereotype Activation

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carla M. Strickland-Hughes ◽  
Robin L. West
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Stereotype Threat ◽  
Recall Performance ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Story Recall ◽  
Negative Stereotypes ◽  
The Impact

Almost self-fulfilling, commonly held negative stereotypes about old age and memory can impair older adults’ episodic memory performance, due to age-based stereotype threat or self-stereotyping effects. Research studies demonstrating detrimental impacts of age stereotypes on memory performance are generally conducted in research laboratories or medical settings, which often underestimate memory abilities of older adults. To better understand the “real world” impact of negative age and memory stereotypes on episodic memory, the present research tested story recall performance of late middle-aged and older adults (N = 51) following a naturalistic age stereotype manipulation, wherein every day, newspaper-style materials (comics and puzzles) were either embedded with negative age and memory stereotype stimuli (stereotype group) or neutral stimuli (control group). Furthermore, all participants were tested in favorable, familiar environments. Potential moderators of the stereotype effects, e.g., metamemory beliefs, were assessed at baseline. Current memory evaluation and subjective age, as well as perceived stereotype threat and task-related anxiety, were assessed following the stereotype manipulation as potential mechanisms of the expected stereotype effects. Results suggested a contrast effect, as the stereotype group demonstrated superior story recall performance compared to the control group. Marginally significant moderation effects by age and perceived stereotype threat indicated that stereotype rejection was present for late middle-aged adults but not older adults, indicative of stereotype lift, and for individuals who reported low and average, but not high, levels of perceived stereotype threat. Additionally, a trend suggested more positive memory evaluation for those in the stereotype group who reported awareness of the stereotype stimuli than those who did not notice the stimuli. These results are consistent with other research demonstrating benefits to memory performance in adulthood based on motivational and contextual factors, such as using relevant memory materials and testing in favorable conditions. Moreover, the results of this study contribute to our understanding of individuals’ responses to different types of stereotype stimuli, and the differential impact of stereotype manipulations that are subtle versus blatant. Individuals were motivated to counteract negative stereotype effects when conditions were supportive, stereotype presentations were naturalistic, and personal beliefs were positive.

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