RAPID: Older adults’ learning and adaptation as resilience processes to counter social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic

老年人的心理健康和福祉正受到COVID-19社会联系有限的社交距离要求的威胁。对于老年人来说，长期的社会隔离预示着认知能力下降的轨迹，主观幸福感下降和死亡率增加。因此，COVID-19全球大流行可能会加剧负面的老龄化轨迹，即使对健康的老年人也是如此。该研究将调查在目前的身体距离限制下导致或减轻社会隔离和孤独的因素。主要假设是，成年后的适应力取决于两个理论衍生的因素：参与新技能学习和积极的个人信念。这些研究的结果可以指导未来干预措施的设计，例如通过技术提供支持性学习机会。物理距离限制的未知持续时间，以及未来感染浪潮的可能性，促使这项研究迫切需要开发增强的恢复途径。这项RAPID提案旨在通过三个目标来研究老年人和其他潜在弱势群体的社会距离：1)调查不同人口群体（如年龄、社会经济地位）在保持身体距离的情况下如何以及在多大程度上保持社会联系；2)评估学习和适应行为以及个人对年龄/能力的信念如何预测大流行期间成功的社会联系、更高的主观幸福感和更低的孤立和孤独程度；3)对参加过促进适应和积极信念学习干预的老年人进行配对比较。整合信念和行为来预测结果是社会认知理论的核心。目前的研究将收集限制修订前后的数据，以评估该理论的扩展概念模型，该模型特别关注适应新技能的学习。该项目的研究结果将为基础设施建设提供参考，以便在COVID-19和其他未来危机的社会距离措施下更好地支持老年人。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The mental health and well-being of older adults are being threatened by the COVID-19 social distancing requirements that have limited social connectivity. For older adults, long-term social isolation predicts cognitive decline trajectories, reduced subjective well-being, and increased mortality. Thus, the COVID-19 global pandemic could intensify negative aging trajectories, even for healthy older adults. The proposed research will investigate factors that lead to or mitigate against social isolation and loneliness amid the current physical distancing restrictions. The primary hypothesis is that resilience across adulthood is dependent on two theoretically-derived factors: engagement in novel skill learning and positive personal beliefs. The results of these studies could guide the design of future interventions, such as supportive learning opportunities through technology. The unknown duration of the physical distancing restrictions, and the potential for future waves of infection drive the urgency of this research to develop enhanced resilience pathways. This RAPID proposal seeks to examine social distancing in older adults and other potentially vulnerable populations through three aims: 1) Investigate how and to what extent different demographic groups (e.g. age, SES) are staying socially connected despite physical distancing; 2) Evaluate how learning and adaptive behaviors, and personal beliefs about age/abilities, predict successful social connectivity, higher subjective well-being, and lower levels of isolation and loneliness during the pandemic; and 3) Conduct match pair-comparisons with older adults who previously participated in a learning intervention promoting adaptation and positive beliefs. Integrating beliefs and behaviors to predict outcomes is central to Social Cognitive Theory. The current research will collect data before and after restrictions are revised to assess an extended conceptual model of this theory that focuses specifically on novel skill learning for adaptation. Findings from this project will inform development of infrastructures to better support older adults under social distancing practices of COVID-19 and other future crises.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.