Who Is Willing to Engage in Social Gatherings During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Lockdown? A Curvilinear Relationship Between Age and Heuristic Processing

BackgroundThe Chinese government implemented a lockdown to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic during the Chinese Lunar New Year when people have the tradition to visit families and friends. Previous research suggested that heuristic processing increased risky behavioral willingness (e.g., desire to have social gatherings despite the pandemic) and that people’s tendency to use heuristic processing varied across different adulthood stages. This study thus investigated the relationships among age, heuristic processing of COVID-19-related information, and the willingness to have social gatherings during the lockdown.MethodsA sample of 1,651 participants was recruited from an online crowdsourcing platform between January 31 and February 04 in 2020, with a mean age of 30.69, 47.9% being women. Participants completed an online questionnaire about heuristic processing of COVID-19-related information, willingness to engage in social gatherings during the lockdown, age, and other demographic information.ResultsAge was found to have a U-shaped curvilinear relationship with heuristic processing, and heuristic processing was positively correlated with the willingness to have social gatherings. Further analyses showed that heuristic processing curvilinearly mediated the relationship between age and the willingness to have social gatherings.ConclusionCompared with young adults, emerging and older adults are more likely to engage in heuristic processing, which in turn, increases the willingness to have social gatherings. Heuristic processing serves as an underlying mechanism to explain the relationship between age and risky behavioral willingness.

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Loneliness and Off-Topic Verbosity Among Young Adults and Older Adults

Psychological Reports ◽

10.1177/00332941211058045 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 003329412110580

Author(s):

Michael D. Barnett ◽

Leah N. Smith ◽

Alexzandra M. Sandlin ◽

Allyson M. Coldiron

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Young Adults ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Older Adulthood ◽

The Relationship

Objectives: Off-topic verbosity (OTV) refers to prolonged speech that derails from the initial conversational topic by including more loosely associated speech and becoming increasingly more unfocused and distant from the initial topic. Previous research has suggested that, among older adults, loneliness may be associated with greater OTV. The purpose of this study was to investigate the nature of the relationship between loneliness and OTV among young adults ( n = 62) and older adults ( n = 80). Methods: Participants completed a measure of loneliness and provided speech samples, which were transcribed and rated for OTV. Results: Results indicated some relationship between loneliness and tangentiality of speech, particularly among older adults. Discussion: Overall, loneliness may be associated with greater OTV in older adults, which could further explain the connection between increased loneliness and worse health outcomes in older adulthood.

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O2 uptake kinetics, pyruvate dehydrogenase activity, and muscle deoxygenation in young and older adults during the transition to moderate-intensity exercise

AJP Regulatory Integrative and Comparative Physiology ◽

10.1152/ajpregu.00537.2007 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 294 (2) ◽

pp. R577-R584 ◽

Cited By ~ 36

Author(s):

B. J. Gurd ◽

S. J. Peters ◽

G. J. F. Heigenhauser ◽

P. J. LeBlanc ◽

T. J. Doherty ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Young Adults ◽

Pyruvate Dehydrogenase ◽

Lactate Threshold ◽

Time Course ◽

Moderate Intensity ◽

Moderate Intensity Exercise ◽

Similar Time ◽

O2 Uptake Kinetics ◽

The Relationship

The adaptation of pulmonary O2 uptake (V̇o2p) kinetics is slowed in older compared with young adults during the transition to moderate-intensity exercise. In this study, we examined the relationship between V̇o2p kinetics and mitochondrial pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) activity in young ( n = 7) and older ( n = 6) adults. Subjects performed cycle exercise to a work rate corresponding to ∼90% of estimated lactate threshold. Phase 2 V̇o2p kinetics were slower ( P < 0.05) in older (τ = 40 ± 17 s) compared with young (τ = 21 ± 6 s) adults. Relative phosphocreatine (PCr) breakdown was greater ( P < 0.05) at 30 s in older compared with young adults. Absolute PCr breakdown at 6 min was greater ( P < 0.05) in older compared with young adults. In young adults, PDH activity increased ( P < 0.05) from baseline to 30 s, with no further change observed at 6 min. In older adults, PDH activity during baseline exercise was similar to that seen in young adults. During the exercise transition, PDH activity did not increase ( P > 0.05) at 30 s of exercise but was elevated ( P < 0.05) after 6 min. The change in deoxyhemoglobin (HHb) was greater for a given V̇o2p in older adults, and there was a similar time course of HHb accompanying the slower V̇o2p kinetics in the older adults, suggesting a slower adaptation of bulk O2 delivery in older adults. In conclusion, the slower adaptation of V̇o2p in older adults is likely a result of both an increased metabolic inertia and lower O2 availability.

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Abstract 185: The Relationship of Ambulatory Visit Frequency and Hypertension Control Among Young Adults

Circulation Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes ◽

10.1161/circoutcomes.10.suppl_3.185 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 10 (suppl_3) ◽

Author(s):

Cecile C King ◽

Christie M Bartels ◽

Elizabeth M Magnan ◽

Jennifer T Fink ◽

Maureen A Smith ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Blood Pressure ◽

Older Adults ◽

Primary Care ◽

Young Adults ◽

Antihypertensive Medication ◽

Continuous Variables ◽

Hypertension Control ◽

Incident Hypertension ◽

The Relationship

Background: Young adults (18-39 years old) have the lowest rates of hypertension control compared to middle-aged and older adults. Shorter follow-up encounter intervals have been associated with faster rates of hypertension control in middle-aged and older adults. However, the optimal follow-up interval is not defined in younger adults. The objective was to evaluate the relationship between ambulatory follow-up intervals, defined as the average number of provider-patient blood pressure encounters over time, and rates of hypertension control among young adults with incident hypertension. Methods: This was a retrospective analysis of 3,150 young adults receiving regular primary care in a large, Midwestern, academic group practice from 2008-2011. Patients were included upon meeting JNC7 clinical criteria for hypertension (≥140/90 mmHg) and followed for 24 months. Young adults with a previous hypertension diagnosis or prior antihypertensive medication were excluded. We calculated the average blood pressure encounter interval over 24 months and categorized the intervals using established categories of <1 month, 1-2 months, 2-3 months, 3-6 months, and >6 month intervals. Summary statistics were constructed using frequencies and proportions for categorical data and median (25 th , 75 th percentile) for continuous variables. Univariate associations between continuous variables were assessed using two-sided t-test. The probability of achieving hypertension control (<140/90 mmHg) for patients within each encounter interval category was estimated by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Results: Among young adults with newly diagnosed hypertension (59% male, 83% White), those with the shortest average encounter interval (<1 month) were more likely to be female, have Stage 1 (mild) hypertension, Medicaid use, diabetes mellitus, and mental health diagnoses (all p<0.007). The likelihood of achieving hypertension control within 24 months was greater for shorter encounter intervals: <1 month (91%), 1-2 months (76%), 2-3 months (65%), 3-6 months (40%), and >6 months (13%), p<0.001. Respectively, the median time in months to hypertension control (25 th -75 th percentile) by encounter intervals was: 2.8 (1.8-3.9), 7.1 (5.1-11.3), 10.5 (8.5-14.4), 16.4 (12.4-22.6), and 23.9 (22.5-24.1) months. Young adults with 2-3 month and 3-6 month encounter intervals had higher rates of antihypertensive medication initiation within 24 months, 28% (884/3150) and 27% (850/3150) respectively, compared to 21% (661/3150) with <1 month visit interval. Conclusions: A shorter encounter interval (<1 month) is associated with higher and faster rates of hypertension control within 24 months among young adults with incident hypertension. Sustainable interventions to support shorter follow-up intervals between young adults and primary care teams are needed to improve rates and timeliness of hypertension control.

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Online Rumor Transmission Among Younger and Older Adults

SAGE Open ◽

10.1177/2158244019876273 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 215824401987627 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Lingnan He ◽

Haoshen Yang ◽

Xiling Xiong ◽

Kaisheng Lai

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Social Media ◽

Young Adults ◽

Indirect Effects ◽

Mediation Model ◽

Chinese Adults ◽

Younger Adults ◽

Moderated Mediation Model ◽

Frequent Use ◽

The Relationship

Social media not only leads to efficient dissemination of information but also facilitates the spread of rumors. However, it remains unknown whether and how WeChat use influences rumor transmission. Using a nationwide sample of Chinese adults ( N = 9,368), we applied a moderated mediation model to examine whether the relationship among WeChat use, rumor anxiety, and rumor transmission intention varies with age. Our findings show that frequent use of WeChat decreased young adults’ intention to transmit rumors by alleviating rumor anxiety, whereas in older adults, it increased this intention by increasing rumor anxiety. Among older adults, WeChat use had not only a direct effect on facilitating rumor transmission intention but also indirect effects through increased rumor anxiety. Our findings suggest that older adults are dissimilar from younger adults in terms of their level of vulnerability to believing rumors and the way they fall for rumors.

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Ageing and apoE change DHA homeostasis: relevance to age-related cognitive decline

Proceedings of The Nutrition Society ◽

10.1017/s0029665113003625 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 73 (1) ◽

pp. 80-86 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Marie Hennebelle ◽

Mélanie Plourde ◽

Raphaël Chouinard-Watkins ◽

Christian-Alexandre Castellano ◽

Pascale Barberger-Gateau ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Young Adults ◽

Cognitive Decline ◽

Human Subjects ◽

Epidemiological Studies ◽

Physiological Factors ◽

Younger Adults ◽

Age Related ◽

Age Related Cognitive Decline ◽

The Relationship

Epidemiological studies fairly convincingly suggest that higher intakes of fatty fish and n-3 fatty acids are associated with reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease (AD). DHA in plasma is normally positively associated with DHA intake. However, despite being associated with lower fish and DHA intake, unexpectedly, plasma (or brain) DHA is frequently not lower in AD. This review will highlight some metabolic and physiological factors such as ageing and apoE polymorphism that influence DHA homeostasis. Compared with young adults, blood DHA is often slightly but significantly higher in older adults without any age-related cognitive decline. Higher plasma DHA in older adults could be a sign that their fish or DHA intake is higher. However, our supplementation and carbon-13 tracer studies also show that DHA metabolism, e.g. transit through the plasma, apparent retroconversion and β-oxidation, is altered in healthy older compared with healthy young adults. ApoE4 increases the risk of AD, possibly in part because it too changes DHA homeostasis. Therefore, independent of differences in fish intake, changing DHA homeostasis may tend to obscure the relationship between DHA intake and plasma DHA which, in turn, may contribute to making older adults more susceptible to cognitive decline despite older adults having similar or sometimes higher plasma DHA than in younger adults. In conclusion, recent development of new tools such as isotopically labelled DHA to study DHA metabolism in human subjects highlights some promising avenues to evaluate how and why DHA metabolism changes during ageing and AD.

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Influences of complexity on decision making in young and older adults

Europe’s Journal of Psychology ◽

10.5964/ejop.v16i2.1958 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. 280-299

Author(s):

Stephen P. Badham ◽

Calum A. Hamilton

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Decision Making ◽

Young Adults ◽

Age Differences ◽

Amount Of Information ◽

Related Information ◽

Complex Information ◽

Age Deficits ◽

Inform Decision Making

Leading theory hypothesizes that age deficits in decision making may rise as the complexity of decision-related information increases. This suggests that older adults would benefit relative to young adults from simplification of information used to inform decision making. Participants indicated political, nutritional and medical preferences and then chose between politicians, foods and medicines. The amount of information presented was systematically varied but age differences were largely similar for simple and complex trials. Paradoxically, the data showed that decisions based on simpler information could be less aligned with participant’s preferences than decisions based on more complex information. Further analyses suggested that participants may have been responding purely on the basis of their most valued preferences and that when information about those preferences was not presented, decision making became poorer. Contrary to our expectations, simplification of information by exclusion may therefore hinder decision making and may not particularly help older adults.

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Friendships, loneliness and psychological well-being in older adults: A limit to the benefit of increasing the number friendships.

10.31234/osf.io/9p8g7 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Alexandra Thompson ◽

Michael A. Smith ◽

Andrew McNeill ◽

Thomas Victor Pollet

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Regression Analysis ◽

Online Survey ◽

Well Being ◽

Curvilinear Relationship ◽

Psychological Well Being ◽

Breakpoint Analysis ◽

The Relationship

Objectives: To examine the relationship between number of friends and loneliness, depression, anxiety and stress in older adults. Methods: Data were obtained from 335 older adults via completion of an online survey. Measures included loneliness (UCLA Version 3), depression, stress and anxiety (DASS-21). Participants also reported their number of close friends. Results: Regression analysis revealed a negative curvilinear relationship between number of friends and each of the measures tested. Breakpoint analysis demonstrated a threshold for the effect of number of friends on each of the measures (loneliness = 4, depression = 2, anxiety = 3, stress = 2). Discussion: The results suggest that there is a limit to the benefit of increasing the number of friends in older adults for each of these measures. Elucidating these thresholds can enable loneliness and psychological well-being interventions to be more targeted.

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EXPRESS: Reliance on semantic and structural heuristics in sentence comprehension across the lifespan

Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology ◽

10.1177/17470218211053263 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 174702182110532

Author(s):

Anastasiya A. Lopukhina ◽

Anna Laurinavichyute ◽

Svetlana Malyutina ◽

Galina Ryazanskaya ◽

Elena Savinova ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Young Adults ◽

Sentence Comprehension ◽

Syntactic Structure ◽

Semantic Relations ◽

World Knowledge ◽

Top Down ◽

Bottom Up ◽

Syntactic Information ◽

Heuristic Processing

People sometimes misinterpret the sentences that they read. One possible reason suggested in the literature is a race between slow bottom-up algorithmic processing and “fast and frugal” top-down heuristic processing that serves to support fast-paced communication but sometimes results in incorrect representations. Heuristic processing can be both semantic, relying on world knowledge and semantic relations between words, and structural, relying on structural economy. Scattered experimental evidence suggests that reliance on heuristics may change from greater reliance on syntactic information in younger people to greater reliance on semantic information in older people. We tested whether the reliance on structural and semantic heuristics changes with age in 137 Russian-speaking adolescents, 135 young adults, and 77 older adults. In a self-paced reading task with comprehension questions, participants read unambiguous high- vs. low-attachment sentences that were either semantically plausible or implausible: i.e., the syntactic structure either matched or contradicted the semantic relations between words. We found that the use of top-down heuristics in comprehension increased across the lifespan. Adolescents did not rely on structural heuristics, in contrast to young and older adults. At the same time, older adults relied on semantic heuristics more than young adults and adolescents. Importantly, we found that top-down heuristic processing was faster than bottom-up algorithmic processing: slower reading times were associated with greater accuracy specifically in implausible sentences.

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The role of eye movements, attention, and hand movements on age-related differences in pegboard tests

Journal of Neurophysiology ◽

10.1152/jn.00629.2020 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Brittany Heintz Walters ◽

Wendy E. Huddleston ◽

Kristian O'Connor ◽

Jinsung Wang ◽

Marie Hoeger Bement ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Young Adults ◽

Eye Movements ◽

Manual Dexterity ◽

Hand Movements ◽

Movement Variability ◽

Attentional Deficits ◽

Age Related ◽

Trail Making ◽

The Relationship

Well-documented manual dexterity impairments in older adults may critically depend on the processing of visual information. The purpose of this study was to determine age-related changes in eye and hand movements during commonly used pegboard tests and the association with manual dexterity impairments in older adults. The relationship between attentional deficits and manual dexterity was also assessed. Eye movements and hand kinematics of 20 young (20-38 years) and 20 older (65-85 years) adults were recorded during 9-Hole Pegboard, Grooved Pegboard and a visuospatial dual test. Results were compared to standardized tests of attention (The Test of Everyday Attention and Trail Making Test) that assess visual selective attention, sustained attention, attentional switching and divided attention. Hand movement variability was 34% greater in older vs. young adults when placing the pegs into the pegboard and this was associated with decreased pegboard performance, providing further evidence that increased movement variability plays a role in dexterity impairments in older adults. Older adults made more corrective saccades and spent less time gazing at the pegboard than young adults, suggesting altered visual strategies in older compared to young adults. The relationship between pegboard completion time and Trail Making Test B demonstrates an association between attentional deficits and age-related pegboard impairments. Results contribute novel findings of age-associated changes in eye movements during a commonly used manual dexterity task and offer insight into potential mechanisms underlying hand motor impairments in older adults.

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