Open AccessCognitive Training in the Elderly: The Effect of Cognitive Training on Dispositional Variables and Subjective Well-Being
Author(s) -
Jadrana Bekavac,
Andrea Vranić
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
društvena istraživanja/društvena istraživanja
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.18
H-Index - 15
eISSN - 1848-6096
pISSN - 1330-0288
DOI - 10.5559/di.24.2.05
Subject(s) - training (meteorology) , psychology , cognition , croatian , cognitive training , applied psychology , cognitive psychology , geography , philosophy , linguistics , neuroscience , meteorology
Evaluacije kognitivnih treninga kod starijih pokazuju poboljšanje u kognitivnim sposobnostima neposredno, a ponekad i duže nakon treninga. Nerijetko se uočava transfer efekata treninga i na sposobnosti koje treningom nisu uvježbavane. Promjene u nekognitivnoj domeni nakon treninga dosad nisu proučavane. Cilj je istraživanja bio provjeriti utjecaj 10-tjednog treninga pamćenja, temeljenog na pretpostavci o metakognitivnim promjenama kao uzroku kognitivnoga starenja, na osobine ličnosti (optimizam/pesimizam i mjesto kontrole) te subjektivnu dobrobit. U istraživanju su sudjelovali korisnici domova za starije i nemoćne osobe, podijeljeni u tretmansku (N = 21) i aktivnu kontrolnu (N = 20) skupinu. Mjere dobiti – promjene u varijablama u odnosu na predtest – prikupljene su u dvije točke mjerenja (posttest i praćenje nakon 6 mjeseci). Neposredno nakon treninga utvrđene su promjene u nekim dispozicijskim mjerama (optimizam, eksternalno mjesto kontrole) i procjeni subjektivne dobrobiti između dvije grupe sudionika. Na praćenju utvrđen je sličan obrazac rezultata s ponešto smanjenim razlikama. Nalazi sugeriraju mogućnost poboljšanja kvalitete života starijih (podizanje optimizma i internalnosti, smanjenje pesimizma i uvjerenja o vanjskim izvorima kontrole ishoda te poboljšanje subjektivne dobrobiti) sudjelovanjem u treningu pamćenja koji kombinira metakognitivne aktivnosti i usvajanje mnemotehnika.Evaluations of cognitive training programs for the elderly usually show marked improvement in cognitive abilities after the training and maintenance effects in a longer period after the training. Some studies find transfer effects to non-trained cognitive tasks. The effect of cognitive training has rarely been tested on non-cognitive variables. This study tested a 10-week memory training based on the hypothesis of metacognitive changes moderating the process of cognitive aging to investigate its effect on dispositional variables (optimism/pessimism, locus of control) and subjective well-being. Retirement homes residents, randomly assigned to treatment (N = 21) or active control (N = 20) group, participated in this study. Measurement of training-related gains – i.e. changes in non-cognitive measures compared to pretest – was conducted after the training (posttest) and at the 6-month follow-up. Results revealed significant changes in some dispositional variables (optimism, external locus of control) and subjective well-being at the posttest. Although somewhat moderated, a similar pattern of results was found at the follow-up. These results suggest that cognitive training programs, combining strategy learning and metacognitive activities, can improve the quality of life in the elderly, i.e. improvement in optimism, internal locus and subjective well-being, and decline in pessimism and external locus