Are you more impulsive with age? Examining age, marital status, and gender on cognitive ageing

Abstract

Understanding non-pathological cognitive aging processes remains a public health goal and research priority. Age-associated cognitive aging is a normal human process, however, individual differences may aid in the mitigation of cognitive aging. Assessing the role of certain protective factors (i.e., age, marital status, and gender) that influence age-related cognitive aging is imperative to slow down the progression of unwarranted cognitive aging. Participants aged over 18 (N = 123; 97 females and 26 males) recruited from Sydney, New South Wales, and Gold Coast, Queensland, completed an online neuropsychological test battery with computer-administered tasks, assessing impulsivity and working memory, which were entered as dependent variables. A 3(Age Group: 18–27 years; 28–61 years; 62+ years) x2(Marital Status: married; single) x2(Gender: male; female) Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA) design was used to examine the relationship between age, marital status, and gender (entered as independent variables) on cognitive aging. Participants’ total scores from psychometrically sound measures assessing depressive symptomology, personal wellbeing, resilience, and social network engagement, were entered as covariates. No significant effects were found from the independent variables included in the MANCOVA. A significant covariate effect for resilience and depressive symptomology on impulsivity was found. A multiple regression analysis was performed on the significant covariates, and revealed increased resilience and depressive symptomology to significantly predict greater impulsivity.

Keywords:

• Cognitive aging
• cognitive reserve
• depressive symptomology
• impulsivity
• resilience

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of BUHREC and conducted in alignment with the National Statement (2007). Participants who voluntarily selected that they understood informed consent were able to proceed in the study, inferring participation.

Acknowledgments

I am humbled to be under the supervision of Dr. Mark Bahr for a second time. Thank you for your caring nature and guidance.

I would also like to extend my deep appreciation to my parents, Jane and Matthew, for continually supporting me in my academic goals. Words will never be able to express my gratitude.

To my grandmother, June, thank you for your continued encouragement and support.

To Jesus, thank you for your unfailing love, hope, and strength. I hope this paper gives honour to the gifts you have given me.

To my friends and family: you know who you are. Thank you for your kindness and company throughout this time.

I would also like to extend my special thanks to Cameron Lydster for your ongoing commitment to refine my academic writing style.

Disclosure statement

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

Data availability statement

The data were only accessible by the researcher and were stored with a password-protected file for five years at Bond University, in accordance with the guidelines set out by Bond University Human Research Ethics Committee (BUHREC). None of the experiments were preregistered.