The role of implicit theories of intelligence and personality in older adults’ resilience: cognitive functioning and social participation as two mediators

Abstract

Objectives

Resilience during old age reflects the capacity to adapt to changes and challenges associated with normative aging and is an important component of successful aging. Belief in the incremental theory of intelligence and personality could help older adults maintain cognitive functioning and social engagement, which may further contribute to their resilience. The current study investigated how implicit theories of intelligence and personality affected older adults’ resilience and examined cognitive functioning and social participation as two mediators.

Method

A total of 108 older adults aged 60–92 were recruited and completed relevant scales and cognitive tasks. Path analyses were conducted to estimate the expected mediation model.

Results

The incremental theory of intelligence, but not personality, was positively related to older adults’ resilience. Both cognitive functioning and social participation mediated the effect of the implicit theory of intelligence in the model without covariates. When background variables were controlled, the mediation effect of cognitive functioning remained significant, while the link between the implicit theory of intelligence and social participation was weakened.

Conclusion

Older adults’ implicit theory of intelligence plays a significant role in fostering resilience in late adulthood, especially through maintaining older adults’ cognitive functioning.

Keywords:

• Fixed mindset
• incremental mindset
• late adulthood
• resilience
• social engagement

Acknowledgements

The authors express gratitude to all research assistants and participants for making this study successful.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to privacy restrictions.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by a University Development Fund (UDF01002150) from The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen and an Internal Research Grant (RG31/2015-2016R) from The Education University of Hong Kong.