High performance in old age is associated with higher education, foreign language use and IQ, but not physical activity or personality¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · associational r1–r2 · q3
Currency · newest study 2020 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? Old performance groups differed in IQ, education level and frequency of foreign language use, with old high performers highest. → Patrick D. Gajewski 2020 q3 i? No differences were found between performance groups in physical activity, BMI or personality dimensions. → Patrick D. Gajewski 2020 (2)

Evidence¶

Patrick D. Gajewski 2020¶

Patrick D. Gajewski, Michael Falkenstein, Sven Th€ones, Edmund Wascher. (2020). Stroop task performance across the lifespan: High cognitive reserve in older age is associated with enhanced proactive and reactive interference control. NeuroImage 207 (2020) 116430. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116430

q3 · i? · associational · r1

One-way ANOVAs on sociodemographic variables across the three old performance subgroups (n = 152). Groups differed in IQ (F(2,150) = 6.2, p < .005), education (F(2,150) = 4.5, p < .05) and foreign language use (F(2,146) = 5.5, p < .005), with "the most frequent usage in the OH".

"the performance groups differed with respect to IQ (OL: 111.7 vs. OM: 117.4 vs. OH: 119.6; F(2,150) ¼ 6.2, p < .005). Post-hoc tests showed differences between OH vs. OL ( p < .001) and OM vs. OL, (p < .05), whereas no difference was observed between OH vs. OM ( p > .05)."

Patrick D. Gajewski 2020 (2)¶

Patrick D. Gajewski, Michael Falkenstein, Sven Th€ones, Edmund Wascher. (2020). Stroop task performance across the lifespan: High cognitive reserve in older age is associated with enhanced proactive and reactive interference control. NeuroImage 207 (2020) 116430. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116430

q3 · i? · associational · r2

One-way ANOVAs on lifestyle variables across the three old performance subgroups found "No differences between performance groups were found regarding the current level of physical activity" or BMI, and no significant differences in the NEO-FFI personality dimensions, suggesting these factors did not contribute to performance differences.

"No differences between performance groups were found regarding the current level of physical activity using the PWC-130 test, or regular physical activity in the last two years measured by the Lüdenscheid Activity Questionnaire or with respect to the Body Mass Index (all F's < 1)"

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Executive-control tasks discriminate old performance groups while speed, attention and memory tests show less consistent or no differences — related
• High L2 achievers in immersion programs show IQ gains, consistent with a higher threshold of bilingual competence — related
• Old high performers reach a Stroop performance level comparable to middle-aged or even young adults — related
• Physical activity is positively correlated with children's working memory, and integrated exercise with gestures yields the best preschool foreign-language vocabulary learning — related
• Obesity relates to lower processing speed and cognitive flexibility only among older adults with low education or low engagement in activities — related
• Interference control declines with increasing age and increasing Stroop task difficulty in speed, consistency and accuracy — related