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，记忆力下降是不可避免的，几乎无能为力。这种自我效能感低和对记忆老化的控制有限的信念与在广泛的记忆任务中表现较差有关，特别是在老年人中。这项研究计划的目的是通过考虑控制信念与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成为记忆不良的危险因素的。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实现。25岁至85岁的成年人将对情节记忆和工作记忆以及记忆控制信念进行评估。参与者将从大波士顿地区的代表性样本中抽取，并在家中进行测试。对于目标1，我们将扩展过去的工作，考虑多种焦虑指标，包括自我报告以及对压力和唤醒的神经内分泌(皮质醇)和自主神经(心率)系统反应，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代偿记忆策略的使用有关的记忆相关压力。据预测，对记忆的控制感保护老年人免受破坏性焦虑和沉思的影响，并在面对具有挑战性的记忆任务时促进坚持不懈。越来越多的证据表明，功能的可变性与与衰老相关的重要结果有关。对于目标2，我们将扩展关于控制感的个体差异的工作，以检验与年龄相关的控制信念的短期个体内变异以及压力和记忆的个体内变异。控制力的短期波动可能反映的是面对记忆挑战时的脆弱性，而不是韧性。控制力的可变性预计与年龄和压力呈正相关，而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，将重点放在个体内部变化到日常环境中的年龄差异上。人们预计，在成年人感觉生活更受控制的日子里，他们会使用更具适应性的记忆辅助工具和策略，经历更少的压力，记忆问题也会更少。晚年的记忆问题可能会导致焦虑和痛苦，但有一些事情可以做来弥补。关注关于记忆衰退的可控性、焦虑的作用和补偿策略的使用的信念，为我们提供了一个有用的框架，以促进我们对成功衰老的适应性信念和行为的理解。叙述：良好的记忆功能在日常生活中(例如，服药、记住约会)对于保持健康、幸福和独立至关重要。这项研究可以确定可改变的信念和行为，这些信念和行为与日常生活中的工具性活动中记忆力差和功能减退有关。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，并在以后的生活中改善日常功能。

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.