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Mazerolle M, Rotolo L, Maquestiaux F. Overcoming age differences in memory retrieval by reducing stereotype threat. Mem Cognit 2024; 52:622-631. [PMID: 37973771 DOI: 10.3758/s13421-023-01488-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Very little is known about whether and how socioemotional factors influence age differences in associative memory. Here, we tested the hypothesis that reducing the threat induced by age-based stereotypes can reduce age differences in learning performance and strategy. Using an associative learning task, we replicated the classic finding of age differences under a high-threat condition: older adults had longer reaction times than younger adults and were much more reluctant to use memory retrieval. However, age differences were greatly diminished under a low-threat condition. These findings demonstrate that memory retrieval is an ability not entirely lost as individuals age because merely reducing stereotype threat helped restoring it. We conclude that socioemotional factors, such as stereotype threat, should be considered when evaluating younger and older adults' memory performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Mazerolle
- Université de Franche-Comté, LINC, MSHE, F-25000, Besançon, France.
| | - Lucas Rotolo
- Université de Franche-Comté, LINC, MSHE, F-25000, Besançon, France
| | - François Maquestiaux
- Université de Franche-Comté, LINC, MSHE, F-25000, Besançon, France
- Univ Rouen Normandie, Normandie Univ, CRFDP UR 7475, F-76000, Rouen, France
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Bugaiska A, Bonin P, Ferreira J, Witt A. Effect of Perceptions of Future Time on Implicit and Explicit Memory in Older Adults. Exp Aging Res 2023:1-9. [PMID: 37936419 DOI: 10.1080/0361073x.2023.2269801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/09/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We examine age-related differences in implicit and explicit memory tasks, and test the impact of future time perspectives on priming and cued recall. METHODS We induced time perspective in young (limited-time perspective) and older (extended-time perspective) adults. Implicit and explicit memory tasks were performed by younger and older adults. RESULTS Results showed an age-related effect on priming and cued recall, confirming that implicit and explicit memory are impaired in aging. Nevertheless, manipulation of future time perspective eliminated age differences in priming and cued recall. DISCUSSION These findings support the view that it is not age per se that determines memory performance but rather the perception of the time left to us. Socio-emotional selectivity theory thus seems to be a serious candidate to explain age-related differences in implicit and explicit memory.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Patrick Bonin
- LEAD-CNRS, University of Bourgogne Franche Comté, Dijon, France
| | - Julie Ferreira
- LEAD-CNRS, University of Bourgogne Franche Comté, Dijon, France
| | - Arnaud Witt
- LEAD-CNRS, University of Bourgogne Franche Comté, Dijon, France
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Piroelle M, Abadie M, Régner I. Toward a New Approach to Investigate the Role of Working Memory in Stereotype Threat Effects. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12121647. [PMID: 36552105 PMCID: PMC9775410 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12121647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Stereotype threat arises when the activation of negative stereotypes about a group impairs performance of stigmatized individuals on stereotype relevant tasks. There is ample evidence that stereotype threat leads to performance detriments by consuming executive resources. Several studies indeed showed that working memory (WM) mediates stereotype threat effects among young adults. More recently, researchers have sought to understand whether the same mechanisms underlie age-based stereotype threat, but findings are mixed regarding the role of WM and some authors rather favor a motivational explanation based on regulatory fit. The present review critically appraises the empirical support for distinct forms of stereotype threat effects mediated by distinct mechanisms. We propose a novel approach based on one of the most recent WM models, the time-based resource sharing model, to evaluate the impact of stereotype threat on attentional resources in WM among both young and older adults.
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Adaptation to Athletic Retirement and Perceptions About Aging: A Qualitative Study of Retired Olympic Athletes. J Aging Phys Act 2021; 29:828-842. [PMID: 33652415 DOI: 10.1123/japa.2020-0270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Revised: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Self-perceptions about aging have implications for health and well-being; however, less is known about how these perceptions influence adaptation to major life transitions. The goal of this study was to examine how high-performance athletes' perceptions about aging influenced their adaptation to athletic retirement. In-depth interviews conducted with 24 retired Olympic athletes using thematic analysis yielded three key themes: (a) perceptions about aging influenced participants' postretirement exercise habits, (b) perceptions about aging motivated participants to engage in civic activities, and (c) participants who lacked formative perceptions about aging associated their athletic retirement with their own lost sense of purpose. These findings provide evidence that perceptions about aging influence athletes' adaptation to retirement by directing their subsequent engagement in postretirement activities. Furthermore, this research highlights theoretical implications for the literature regarding embodied processes, retirement transitions, role models, and adaptation to new physical states.
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES Personality plays a major role in determining the way people adjust to life experiences, ultimately affecting life satisfaction. Aging attitudes also impact well-being, but there is little research on whether these personality and attitudinal effects reflect the same mechanism. The purpose of this study was to examine whether aging attitudes mediate the relationship between personality and well-being across seven different domains of everyday functioning, and whether this effect depends on age. METHODS Data from 563 adults ranging in age from 30 to 89 were used. Sociodemographic information as well as the Big Five Inventory, aging attitudes, and well-being (i.e. current self-views and life satisfaction) in seven different life domains was assessed. RESULTS The mediating effect of aging attitudes in the relationship between personality and well-being was strong for neuroticism, conscientiousness, and agreeableness and varied across domains. Significant mediation effects were limited for openness and extraversion. Significant moderated mediations were rather limited but the effects were stronger in later life. DISCUSSION These results suggest that personality influences aging attitudes, which in turn affect well-being. Further, our results indicate that such relationships are context-specific, suggesting that the global assessments of attitudes and well-being may not fully characterize significant aging outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeongsoo Park
- Department of Psychology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Thomas M Hess
- Department of Psychology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
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6
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Parker GJ, Ownsworth T, Haslam C, Shum DHK. Overcoming Age-Based Stereotypes to Optimise Cognitive Performance in Older Adults: A Systematic Review of Methodology and Existing Evidence. THE GERONTOLOGIST 2020; 62:e206-e223. [PMID: 33220050 DOI: 10.1093/geront/gnaa191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Age-based stereotype threat (ABST) poses serious risks for the cognitive screening of older adults. This review aimed to identify and critically appraise the methodology and existing evidence of studies investigating the use of threat-removal (TR) strategies to overcome the effects of ABST on the cognitive performance of older adults. The types of strategies, their effectiveness in optimising cognitive performance, and factors influencing their effectiveness were examined. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines. PsycINFO, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched from 1st January 1995 to 6th November 2019. Two authors independently assessed article eligibility and appraised methodological quality of eligible articles using an adaptation of the STROBE guidelines. Narrative synthesis was used to summarise results. RESULTS Thirty articles, reporting on 36 studies, were eligible and included. Overall, evidence for the effectiveness of TR was mixed and varied according to the explicitness of strategies and comparison conditions used. Studies examining blatant TR strategies, and those using a combination of blatant and subtle TR strategies, provided limited support for their effectiveness in overcoming ABST. However, studies evaluating subtle TR strategies provided preliminary support for their effectiveness in overcoming ABST. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS Existing studies provide limited evidence regarding the effectiveness of TR strategies in overcoming ABST due to methodological limitations. Recommendations are made for the design of future studies to differentiate the benefits of TR strategies from the detrimental effects of ABST, thus potentially informing their use in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giverny J Parker
- School of Applied Psychology and Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Tamara Ownsworth
- School of Applied Psychology and Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Catherine Haslam
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - David H K Shum
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong
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Follenfant A, Atzeni T. True performance: reducing stereotype threat effect in older adults' clinical assessment of memory. NEUROPSYCHOLOGY, DEVELOPMENT, AND COGNITION. SECTION B, AGING, NEUROPSYCHOLOGY AND COGNITION 2020; 27:935-948. [PMID: 31845618 DOI: 10.1080/13825585.2019.1703893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Empirical studies suggest that memory loss with age is based not only on biological, but also on contextual factors. In line with the stereotype threat (ST) theory, it is argued that the features of the standard clinical situation may contribute to an underestimation of memory performance in older adults (OA). To prevent these shortcomings, we proposed and tested two different interventions that are easy to implement in clinical settings: individuation and self-handicapping. Results indicate that the individuation intervention appears to be a promising solution to alleviate the ST burden in clinical assessment of memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Follenfant
- Laboratoire de Psychologie, EA4139, University of Bordeaux , Bordeaux, France
| | - Thierry Atzeni
- LIP/PC2S, The Université Grenoble Alpes, University Savoie Mont Blanc , Grenoble, France
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Barber SJ, Hamel K, Ketcham C, Lui K, Taylor-Ketcham N. The effects of stereotype threat on older adults' walking performance as a function of task difficulty and resource evaluations. Psychol Aging 2020; 35:250-266. [PMID: 31971413 PMCID: PMC7543189 DOI: 10.1037/pag0000440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Stereotype threat occurs when people are concerned about confirming a negative stereotype about their social group, and this often leads people to underperform within the threatened domain. Although this is well-documented, the majority of prior studies examining stereotype threat in older adults have focused on cognitive outcomes and comparatively less research has focused on how stereotype threat affects physical outcomes. In this study, we examined whether negative age-based evaluations invoke stereotype threat and adversely affect older adults' gait, and whether this depends upon the difficulty of the gait task and upon participants' evaluations of their own resources to cope with the demands of the gait task. To test this, we recruited 163 healthy, community-dwelling older adults and asked them to complete either an "easy" gait task (i.e., walking at their own comfortable pace) or a "difficult" gait task (i.e., walking within a 15 cm narrow base of support) along a 24' temporospatial-measuring walkway. This was done in either the presence or absence of a negative age-based evaluation. Results showed that the adverse effects of stereotype threat (i.e., walking slower, with relatively more variability in speed, and with more step errors) were generally limited to participants completing the difficult gait task who were not confident that they had sufficient resources to cope with the demands of the task. Thus, stereotype threat can impair older adults' physical performance, but the magnitude of this effect depends upon the task's objective difficulty and on participants' subjective evaluations of their own resources. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
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Gauthier K, Morand A, Dutheil F, Alescio-Lautier B, Boucraut J, Clarys D, Eustache F, Girard N, Guedj E, Mazerolle M, Paccalin M, de la Sayette V, Zaréa A, Huguet P, Michel BF, Desgranges B, Régner I. Ageing stereotypes and prodromal Alzheimer's disease (AGING): study protocol for an ongoing randomised clinical study. BMJ Open 2019; 9:e032265. [PMID: 31594904 PMCID: PMC6797355 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-032265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The number of older people diagnosed with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), the prodromal state of Alzheimer's disease (AD), is increasing worldwide. However, some patients with aMCI never convert to the AD type of dementia, with some remaining stable and others reverting to normal. This overdiagnosis bias has been largely overlooked and gone unexplained. There is ample evidence in the laboratory that negative ageing stereotypes (eg, the culturally shared belief that ageing inescapably causes severe cognitive decline) contribute to the deteriorating cognitive performances of healthy older adults, leading them to perform below their true abilities. The study described here is intended to test for the first time whether such stereotypes also impair patients' cognitive performances during neuropsychological examinations in memory clinics, resulting in overdiagnosis of aMCI. METHODS AND ANALYSIS The ongoing study is a 4-year randomised clinical trial comparing patients' physiological stress and cognitive performances during neuropsychological testing in memory clinics. A total of 260 patients attending their first cognitive evaluation will be randomised to either a standard condition of test administration, assumed here to implicitly activate negative ageing stereotypes or a reduced-threat instruction condition designed to alleviate the anxiety arising from these stereotypes. Both groups will be tested with the same test battery and stress biomarkers. For 30 patients diagnosed with aMCI in each group (n=60), biomarkers of neurodegeneration and amyloidopathy will be used to distinguish between aMCI with normal versus abnormal AD biomarkers. A 9-month follow-up will be performed on all patients to identify those whose cognitive performances remain stable, deteriorate or improve. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION This protocol has been approved by the French National Agency for Medicines and Health Products Safety and the Sud-Est I French Ethics Committee (2017-A00946-47). Results will be published in peer-reviewed journals. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT03138018.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim Gauthier
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, LPC, Marseille, France
| | - Alexandrine Morand
- Normandie Université, UNICAEN, PSL Universités Paris, EPHE, INSERM, U1077, CHU de Caen, Neuropsychologie et Imagerie de la Mémoire Humaine, Caen, France
| | - Frederic Dutheil
- Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, LAPSCO, Clermont-Ferrand, France
- Physiological and Psychosocial Stress, University Hospital of Clermont-Ferrand, CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Preventive and Occupational Medicine, WittyFit, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | | | - José Boucraut
- Immunology Laboratory, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille, Conception Hospital, Marseille, France
- Timone Neuroscience Institute, Aix-Marseille Univ, Marseille, France
| | - David Clarys
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition et l'Apprentissage, CNRS, Université de Poitiers, Université de Tours, Poitiers, France
| | - Francis Eustache
- Normandie Université, UNICAEN, PSL Universités Paris, EPHE, INSERM, U1077, CHU de Caen, Neuropsychologie et Imagerie de la Mémoire Humaine, Caen, France
| | - Nadine Girard
- Aix Marseille Univ, CRMBM UMR CNRS 7339, APHM Timone Neuroradiologie, Marseille, France
| | - Eric Guedj
- Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, Ecole Centrale Marseille, UMR 7249, Institut Fresnel, & Department of Nuclear Medicine, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille, Timone University Hospital, Marseille, France
| | - Marie Mazerolle
- Department and Laboratory of Psychology, MSHE, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
| | - Marc Paccalin
- Centre d'Investigation Clinique CIC 1402, INSERM, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Poitiers, Poitiers, France
| | - Vincent de la Sayette
- Normandie Université, UNICAEN, PSL Universités Paris, EPHE, INSERM, U1077, CHU de Caen, Neuropsychologie et Imagerie de la Mémoire Humaine, Caen, France
| | - Aline Zaréa
- Department of Neurology, Rouen University Hospital and University of Rouen, Rouen, France
| | - Pascal Huguet
- Université Clermont Auvergne, CNRS, LAPSCO, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Bernard F Michel
- Departement of Neurological Behavior, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Marseille, Sainte-Marguerite University Hospital, Marseille, France
| | - Béatrice Desgranges
- Normandie Université, UNICAEN, PSL Universités Paris, EPHE, INSERM, U1077, CHU de Caen, Neuropsychologie et Imagerie de la Mémoire Humaine, Caen, France
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Kalenzaga S, Clarys D, Piolino P. Effortful memory processes under stereotype threat and self-concept in aging. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2018; 72:1876-1887. [PMID: 30501470 DOI: 10.1177/1747021818819787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The present study aimed at exploring the effect of stereotype threat on the controlled part of memory in older adults using a deep level of processing, namely, self-reference encoding. To meet this objective, 25 younger adults and 25 older adults performed a Remember/Know recognition task following self-reference versus other-reference encoding of adjective traits, under stereotype threat or not. The results indicated that under stereotype threat, older adults' production of Remember responses was specifically impaired following self-reference encoding. Moreover, whereas executive functioning and group identification did not moderate stereotype threat effect, measure of self-worth did. These findings suggest that stereotype threat in older adults may be a self-concept threat and that moderators of stereotype threat found in other groups (i.e., group identification and executive functioning) may not be generalised to this group. Rather, as stereotype threat in aging may represent a threat to the self, self-worth might have a central role, whereby individuals with high self-worth remain self-confident even under stereotype threat and are thus able to down-regulate their negative affects to face such a threat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandrine Kalenzaga
- 1 UMR-CNRS 7295 Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition et l'Apprentissage, Université de Poitiers, Poitiers, France
| | - David Clarys
- 1 UMR-CNRS 7295 Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition et l'Apprentissage, Université de Poitiers, Poitiers, France
| | - Pascale Piolino
- 2 Laboratoire Mémoire et Cognition, Institut de Psychologie, Université Paris Descartes-Sorbonne Paris Cité, Boulogne-Billancourt, France.,3 INSERM UMR S894, Centre de Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France.,4 Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), Paris, France
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Lemaire P, Brun F, Régner I. Negative Aging Stereotypes Disrupt both the Selection and Execution of Strategies in Older Adults. Gerontology 2018; 64:373-381. [PMID: 29444508 DOI: 10.1159/000486756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2017] [Accepted: 01/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Age-based cognitive deficits are exacerbated by stereotype threat effects (i.e., the threat of being judged as cognitively incapable due to aging). We tested whether age-based stereotype threat effects can occur via impair- ing older adults' ability to select the best strategy and/or to execute strategies efficiently. METHODS Older adults (age range: 64.3-89.5 years) were randomly assigned to a stereotype threat or control condition before taking an episodic memory task. They encoded pairs of concrete words and of abstract words, with either a repetition or an imagery strategy, and then took a cued-recall task. Whereas participants in experiment 1 could choose between these two strategies, those of experiment 2 were forced to use either the repetition or the imagery strategy. RESULTS Our findings showed that age-based stereotype threat disrupts both the selection and execution of the most efficient, but also most resource-demanding, imagery strategy, and that these stereotype threat effects were stronger on concrete words. CONCLUSION Our findings have important implications to further understand age-based (and other) stereotype threat effects, and how noncognitive factors modulate age-related changes in human cognition.
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Mazerolle M, Régner I, Barber SJ, Paccalin M, Miazola AC, Huguet P, Rigalleau F. Negative Aging Stereotypes Impair Performance on Brief Cognitive Tests Used to Screen for Predementia. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2017; 72:932-936. [PMID: 27466251 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbw083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2015] [Accepted: 06/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives There is today ample evidence that negative aging stereotypes impair healthy older adults' performance on cognitive tasks. Here, we tested whether these stereotypes also decrease performance during the screening for predementia on short cognitive tests widely used in primary care. Method An experiment was conducted on 80 healthy older adults taking the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) under Threat or Reduced-threat condition. Results Stereotype threat significantly impaired older adults' performance on both tests, resulting in 40% of older adults meeting the screening criteria for predementia, compared with 10% in Reduced-threat condition (MMSE and MoCA averaged). Discussion Our research highlights the influence of aging stereotypes on short cognitive tests used to screen for predementia. It is of critical importance that physicians provide a threat-free testing environment. Further research should clarify whether this socially induced bias may also operate in secondary care by generating false positives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Mazerolle
- Department of Psychology, University of Poitiers, France.,National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), France
| | | | - Sarah J Barber
- Department of Psychology, San Francisco State University, California
| | - Marc Paccalin
- EA3808 Molecular Targets and Therapeutics of Alzheimer's Disease, University of Poitiers, France.,Centre Mémoire de Ressources et de Recherche and Geriatrics Department, Poitiers University Hospital, France
| | | | - Pascal Huguet
- National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), France.,Blaise Pascal Université, Clermont Ferrand, France
| | - François Rigalleau
- Department of Psychology, University of Poitiers, France.,National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), France
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Barber SJ. An Examination of Age-Based Stereotype Threat About Cognitive Decline. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2017; 12:62-90. [PMID: 28073332 DOI: 10.1177/1745691616656345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
"Stereotype threat" is often thought of as a singular construct, with moderators and mechanisms that are stable across groups and domains. However, this is not always true. To illustrate this, the current review focuses on the stereotype threat that older adults face about their cognitive abilities. Drawing upon the multithreat framework, I first provide evidence that this is a self-concept threat and not a group-reputation threat. Because this differs from the forms of stereotype threat experienced by other groups (e.g., the threat that minority students face about their intellectual abilities), the moderators of stereotype threat observed in other groups (i.e., group identification) do not always generalize to age-based stereotype threat about cognitive decline. Looking beyond the forms of stereotype threat elicited, this review also provides evidence that the mechanisms underlying stereotype-threat effects may vary across the adult life span. Because of age-related improvements in emotion-regulation abilities, stereotype threat does not seem to reduce older adults' executive-control resources. Overall, this review highlights the need to approach the concept of stereotype threat with more granularity, allowing researchers to design more effective stereotype-threat interventions. It will also shed light on why certain stereotype threat effects "fail to replicate" across domains or groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J Barber
- Department of Psychology, San Francisco State University
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Armstrong B, Gallant SN, Li L, Patel K, Wong BI. Stereotype Threat Effects on Older Adults’ Episodic and Working Memory: A Meta-Analysis. THE GERONTOLOGIST 2017; 57:S193-S205. [DOI: 10.1093/geront/gnx056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2016] [Accepted: 04/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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