Cross-sectional and longitudinal relationship between neuroticism and cognitive ability in advanced old age: the moderating role of severe sensory impairment

Abstract

Objectives: Gaining a comprehensive picture of the network of constructs in which cognitive functioning is embedded is crucial across the full lifespan. With respect to personality, previous findings support a relationship between neuroticism and cognitive abilities. However, findings regarding old age are inconsistent. In particular, little is known about potentially moderating variables which might explain some of the inconsistency. Our aim was to examine the moderating effect of severe sensory impairment on cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between neuroticism and cognitive functioning.

Method: The study sample consisted of 121 visually impaired (VI), 116 hearing impaired (HI), and 150 sensory unimpaired older adults (UI). Mean age was 82.50 years (SD = 4.71 years). Neuroticism was assessed by the NEO Five Factor Inventory, and multiple established tests were used for the assessment of cognitive performance (e.g., subtests of the revised Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale).

Results: Bivariate correlations and multi-group structural equation models indicated stronger relationships between cognitive abilities and neuroticism in both sensory impaired groups (VI and HI) compared to UI older individuals. This relationship was attenuated but still significant in both sensory impaired groups when controlling for age, education and health (number of chronic conditions). In cross-lagged panel models, higher baseline neuroticism was significantly associated with lower cognitive performance four years later in VI and HI individuals.

Conclusion: Our results suggest that sensory impairment moderates both cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between neuroticism and cognitive function in advanced old age.

Keywords:

• cognitive ability
• vision impairment
• hearing impairment
• sensory impairment
• neuroticism

Acknowledgement

We thank the German Research Foundation for supporting this research with a grant (WA 809/7–1) awarded to Hans-Werner Wahl. We extend our appreciation to PD Dr. Ingo Baumann, Prof. Dr. Hans Hörmann, Prof. Dr. Jost Jonas, Prof. Dr. Peter Plinkert, and Prof. Dr. Klaus Rohrschneider who provided outstanding support in generating the sensory impaired samples. Furthermore, we are very grateful for the support from the company KIND Hörgeräte which provided the audiometric assessment. Finally, we would like to thank our project staff and interviewers, particularly Nadine Langer and Christina Hunger, and our study participants who invested considerable time and energy to serve our research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research is supported by German Research Foundation [grant number WA 809/7–1].