Control Beliefs, Memory, and Aging

描述（由申请人提供）：许多中老年人认为，随着年龄的增长，记忆力衰退是不可避免的，而且几乎无能为力。这种低自我效能感和对记忆老化控制有限的信念，与在各种记忆任务中的较差表现有关，尤其是在老年人中。本研究项目的目的是通过考虑控制信念和表现相关的心理和生理途径，更多地了解低控制信念是如何作为记忆不良的风险因素运作的。这将通过使用短期纵向设计来检查策略使用，焦虑，应激反应和唤醒作为中介来完成。情景记忆和工作记忆以及记忆控制信念将在25至85岁的成年人中进行评估。参与者将从大波士顿地区的代表性样本中抽取，并在他们的家中进行测试。对于Aim 1，我们将扩展过去的工作，考虑焦虑的多个指标，包括自我报告和神经内分泌（皮质醇）和自主（心率）系统对压力和觉醒的反应，这可能对认知和身体健康产生短期影响和长期损害。我们还将研究与年龄和适应性补偿记忆策略的使用有关的记忆相关压力。据预测，对记忆的控制感可以保护老年人免受破坏性焦虑和反刍的影响，并促进他们在面对具有挑战性的记忆任务时的坚持。越来越多的证据表明，功能的变化与衰老相关的重要结果有关。对于目标2，我们将扩展对控制感的个体差异的研究，以检查与年龄和压力和记忆有关的控制信念的短期个体变异性。控制的短期波动可能反映了面对记忆挑战时的脆弱性，而不是复原力。控制方面的可变性与年龄和压力呈正相关，与记忆表现呈负相关。在目标3中，我们使用每日日记的方法将重点扩展到个体内部变化的年龄差异。预计在成年人对自己的生活有更多掌控感的日子里，他们会使用更多的适应性记忆辅助工具和策略，经历更少的压力，出现更少的记忆问题。晚年的记忆问题可能会导致焦虑和痛苦，但有一些事情可以弥补。对可控性信念的关注，焦虑的作用，以及对记忆衰退的补偿策略的使用，为促进我们对成功衰老的适应性信念和行为的理解提供了一个有用的框架。叙事性：良好的记忆功能在日常生活中（例如，服药、记住约会）对保持健康、幸福和独立至关重要。这项研究可以确定与记忆力差和日常生活中工具性活动功能下降有关的可改变的信念和行为。研究结果可用于开发更有效的干预措施，以减少痛苦、损害和依赖，增强控制信念和记忆，并改善晚年生活中的日常功能。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Many middle-aged and older adults believe as they age that memory declines are inevitable and there is little that can be done. Such beliefs of low self-efficacy and limited control over memory aging are associated with poorer performance on a wide range of memory tasks, especially among older adults. The objective of this research program is to learn more about how low control beliefs operate as a risk factor for poor memory by considering the psychological and physiological pathways whereby control beliefs and performance are related. This will be accomplished by using short-term longitudinal designs to examine strategy use, anxiety, stress reactivity and arousal as mediators. Episodic and working memory along with memory control beliefs will be assessed in adults ages 25 to 85. Participants will be drawn from a representative sample of the Greater Boston area and tested in their homes. For Aim 1, we will extend past work to consider multiple indicators of anxiety, including self-reports and neuroendocrine (cortisol) and autonomic (heart rate) system responses of stress and arousal, which can have a short- term impact and long-term damage on cognitive and physical well-being. We also will examine memory- related stress in relation to age and the use of adaptive compensatory memory strategies. It is predicted that a sense of control over memory protects older adults from disruptive anxiety and rumination and promotes persistence in the face of challenging memory tasks. There is increasing evidence that variability in functioning is associated with important aging-related outcomes. For Aim 2, we will extend work on individual differences in the sense of control to examine short-term intraindividual variability in control beliefs in relation to age and intraindividual variability in stress and memory. Short-term fluctuations in control may reflect vulnerability rather than resilience in the face of memory challenges. Variability in control is expected to be positively associated with age and stress and inversely related to memory performance. In Aim 3 we expand the focus on age differences in intraindividual changes to the everyday context using a daily diary approach. It is expected that on days when adults feel more in control of their lives they will use more adaptive memory aids and strategies, experience less stress, and have fewer memory problems. Memory problems in later life can lead to anxiety and distress, but there are things that can be done to compensate. A focus on beliefs about controllability, the role of anxiety, and use of compensatory strategies for memory declines provides a useful framework for advancing our understanding of adaptive beliefs and behaviors for successful aging. Narrative: Good memory functioning is critical in everyday life (e.g., taking medications, remembering appointments) to maintain health, well-being, and independence. This research can identify modifiable beliefs and behaviors that are tied to poor memory and reduced functioning in instrumental activities for daily living. The results can be used to develop more effective interventions to reduce distress, impairment and dependence, enhance control beliefs and memory, and improve everyday functioning in later life.