Memory Mood & Aging

描述(申请人提供)：随着老年人数量的增加，必须进行研究，以加强我们对认知技能中与年龄有关的标准化差异的理解，这些差异是一个人在日常生活中独立运作的能力的基础。记忆是这一领域最重要的技能之一，也可能是与衰老相关的衰退最常见的一种技能。记忆能力似乎确实在晚年受到影响，这种下降通常归因于相关皮质结构中的神经元丢失。然而，也有证据表明，与认知能力或神经元丧失无关的因素可能会影响记忆，并解释与年龄相关的表现差异。例如，研究表明，在某些测试情况下，对衰老的负面刻板印象可能会削弱老年人的记忆表现。也有证据表明，随着老年人在如何使用记忆以保存有限的认知资源方面变得更加选择性，老年人在晚年生活中也具有适应性功能。这项拟议的研究将探索老年记忆功能的这些适应性方面，特别关注情绪对记忆功能的作用。积极或消极的情绪已经被证明会影响在特定情况下使用的认知操作。也有证据表明，不同的情绪在不同的情况下会有不同程度的功能。因此，一个人理解情绪对功能的影响并以与情景需求一致的方式调节情绪的能力可能是适应功能的一个重要预测因素。有一些证据表明，主导情绪状态会随着年龄的增长而变化，而且调节情绪的能力在以后的生活中也会有所提高。然而，也有证据表明，调节情绪的能力可能在一定程度上取决于执行认知功能，这些功能随着年龄的增长而下降。这项拟议的研究的目的是考察情绪在决定记忆表现年龄差异方面的作用，以及与年龄相关的标准化情绪变化、调节情绪的能力和执行功能对一个人使用记忆的能力的影响程度。记忆是晚年心理功能的一个重要方面，一个人的一般能力以及对能力的信念和看法与幸福和心理健康的其他方面有关。对影响记忆的情感因素的了解对于更全面地了解这项重要的日常技能中与衰老相关的变化的性质是必要的。此外，对随着年龄增长而维持并与记忆相关的特定功能方面(即情绪调节)的检查，可能会让我们深入了解与晚年生活中的独立功能相关的因素。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): As the number of older adults increases, it is imperative that research be undertaken that will enhance our understanding of normative age-related variations in cognitive skills that underlie one's ability to function independently in everyday life. One of the most important skills in this area, and perhaps the one most often associated with aging-related decline, is memory. Memory skills do appear to suffer in later life, with this decrement typically attributed to neuronal loss in associated cortical structures. There is also evidence, however, that factors unrelated to cognitive ability or neuronal loss may influence memory and account for age-related variation in performance. For example, research has shown that negative stereotypes of aging may undermine older adults' memory performance in some test situations. There is also evidence of adaptive functioning in later life as older adults become more selective in how they use their memory in an attempt to conserve limited cognitive resources. The proposed research will explore these adaptive aspects of memory functioning in old age, with a particular focus on the role of mood on memory functioning. Being in a positive or negative mood has been shown to affect the cognitive operations used in a given situation. There is also evidence that different moods will have different levels of functionality across situations. Thus, one's ability to understand the impact of mood on functioning and to regulate mood in a manner consistent with situational demands may be an important predictor of adaptive functioning. There is some evidence that dominant mood states change with age, and that the ability to regulate moods also improves in later life. There is also evidence, however, that the ability to regulate mood may be determined in part by executive cognitive functions which decline with age. The goal of the proposed research is to examine the role of mood in determining age differences in memory performance, and the extent to which normative age-related variation in mood, the ability to regulate mood, and executive functions affects one's ability to use memory. Memory is an important aspect of psychological functioning in later life, with one's general ability as well as beliefs and perceptions about ability being associated with well-being and other aspects of mental health. An understanding of the affective factors influencing memory is necessary for gaining a more complete understanding of the nature of aging-related change in this important everyday skill. In addition, the examination of a particular aspect of functioning (i.e., mood regulation) that is maintained with age and that is associated with memory may give insight to factors associated with independent functioning in later life.