Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-hc48f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-21T19:09:17.141Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Life course influences of physical and cognitive function and personality on attitudes to aging in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 March 2014

Susan D. Shenkin ,
Ken Laidlaw ,
Mike Allerhand ,
Gillian E. Mead ,
John M. Starr  and
Ian J. Deary
Susan D. Shenkin*
Affiliation:
Department of Geriatric Medicine, University of Edinburgh, 51 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
Ken Laidlaw
Affiliation:
Clinical Psychology, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK
Mike Allerhand
Affiliation:
Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
Gillian E. Mead
Affiliation:
Department of Geriatric Medicine, University of Edinburgh, 51 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK
John M. Starr
Affiliation:
Department of Geriatric Medicine, University of Edinburgh, 51 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
Ian J. Deary
Affiliation:
Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, 7 George Square, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
*
Correspondence should be addressed to: Dr Susan D Shenkin, Geriatric Medicine, Room S1642, Department of Clinical and Surgical Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, 51 Little France Crescent, Edinburgh EH16 4SB, UK. Phone: +44-(0)131-242-6481; Fax: +44-(0)131-242-6370. Email: Susan.Shenkin@ed.ac.uk.
Get access

Abstract

Background:

Reports of attitudes to aging from older people themselves are scarce. Which life course factors predict differences in these attitudes is unknown.

Methods:

We investigated life course influences on attitudes to aging in healthy, community-dwelling people in the UK. Participants in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 completed a self-report questionnaire (Attitudes to Aging Questionnaire, AAQ) at around age 75 (n = 792, 51.4% male). Demographic, social, physical, cognitive, and personality/mood predictors were assessed, around age 70. Cognitive ability data were available at age 11.

Results:

Generally positive attitudes were reported in all three domains: low Psychosocial Loss, high Physical Change, and high Psychological Growth. Hierarchical multiple regression found that demographic, cognitive, and physical variables each explained a relatively small proportion of the variance in attitudes to aging, with the addition of personality/mood variables contributing most significantly. Predictors of attitudes to Psychosocial Loss were high neuroticism; low extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness; high anxiety and depression; and more physical disability. Predictors of attitudes to Physical Change were: high extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness; female sex; social class; and less physical disability. Personality predictors of attitudes to Psychological Growth were similar. In contrast, less affluent environment, living alone, lower vocabulary scores, and slower walking speed predicted more positive attitudes in this domain.

Conclusions:

Older people's attitudes to aging are generally positive. The main predictors of attitude are personality traits. Influencing social circumstances, physical well-being, or mood may result in more positive attitudes. Alternatively, interventions to influence attitudes may have a positive impact on associated physical and affective changes.

Keywords

attitudes to agingagingpersonalitycognitive assessmentphysical performance
Type
Research Article
Information
International Psychogeriatrics , Volume 26 , Issue 9 , September 2014 , pp. 1417 - 1430
Copyright
Copyright © International Psychogeriatric Association 2014 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abrams, D., Eilola, T. and Swift, H. (October, 2009). Attitudes to Age in Britain 2004–8. Department for Work and Pensions Research Report No. 599, (148pp). ISBN 978 1 84712 635 1. http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/rports2009-2010/rrep599.pdf.Google Scholar
Bjelland, I., Dahl, A.A., Haug, T. T. and Neckelmann, D. (2002). The validity of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale: an updated literature review. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 52, 69–77. doi: 10.1016/S0022-03999(01)00296-3.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bryant, C., Bei, B., Gilson, K., Komiti, A., Jackson, H. and Judd, F. (2012). The relationship between attitudes to aging and physical and mental health in older adults. International Psychogeriatrics, 24, 1674–1683. doi: 10.1017/S1041610212000774.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Carstensen, L. L., Turan, B., Scheibe, S., Ram, N., Ersner-Hershfield, H., Samanez-Larkin, G. R., Brooks, K. P. and Nesselroade, J. R. (2011). Emotional experience improves with age: evidence based on over 10 years of experience sampling. Psychology and Aging, 26 (1), 21–33. doi: 10.1037/a0021285.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chachamovich, E., Fleck, M., Laidlaw, K. and Power, M. (2008). Impact of major depression and subsyndromal symptoms on quality of life and attitudes toward aging in an international sample of older adults. Gerontologist, 48, 593–602. doi: 10.1093/geront/48.5.593.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Charles, S. T. and Carstensen, L. L. (2009). Social and emotional aging. Annual Review of Psychology, 61, 383–409. doi: 10.1146/annurev.psych.093008.100448.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Costa, P. T. and McCrae, R. R. (1992). NEO PI-R Professional Manual (Revised NEO Personality Inventory and NEO Five-Factor Inventory). Odessa, FL: Psychological Assessment Resources.Google Scholar
Deary, I. J. et al. (2007). The Lothian Birth Cohort 1936: a study to examine influences on cognitive ageing from age 11 to age 70 and beyond. BMC Geriatrics. 7, 28. doi: 10.1186/1471-2318-7-28.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Deary, I. J., Whalley, L. J. and Starr, J. M. (2009). A Lifetime of Intelligence: Follow-up Studies of the Scottish Mental Surveys of 1932 and 1947. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Deary, I. J., Gow, A. J., Pattie, A. and Starr, J. M. (2012). Cohort profile: the Lothian Birth Cohorts of 1921 and 1936. International Journal of Epidemiology, 41, 1576–1584. doi: 10.1093/ije/dyr197.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Diehl, M. K. and Werner-Wahl, H. (2010) Awareness of age-related change: examination of a (mostly) unexplored concept. Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 65B, 340–350. doi:10.1093/geronb/gbp110.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dykiert, D. and Deary, I. J. (2013). Retrospective validation of WTAR and NART scores as estimators of prior cognitive ability using the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936. Psychological Assessment, 25, 1361–1366. doi: 10.1037/a0033623.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Folstein, M. F., Folstein, S. E. and McHugh, P. R. (1975). “Mini-mental state.” A practical method for grading the cognitive state of patients for the clinician. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 12, 189–198. doi: 10.1016/0022-3956(75)90026-6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Frazier, L. D., Newman, F. L. and Jaccard, J. (2007). Psychosocial outcomes in later life: a multivariate model. Psychology and Aging, 22, 676–689. doi: 10.1037/0882-7974.22.4.676.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
George, L. K. (2010) Still happy after all these years: research frontiers on subjective well-being in later life. Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 65B, 331–339. doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbq006.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Johnson, W., Gow, A. J., Corley, J., Starr, J. M. and Deary, I. J. (2010). Location in cognitive and residential space at age 70 reflects a lifelong trait over parental and environmental circumstances: the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936. Intelligence, 38, 402–411. doi: 10.1016/j.intell.2010.04.001.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Johnson, W., Gow, A. J., Corley, J., Redmond, P., Henderson, R., Murray, C., Starr, J. M. and Deary, I. J. (2012). Can we spot deleterious ageing in two waves of data? The Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 from ages 70 to 73. Longitudinal and Life Course Studies, 3, 3.Google Scholar
Kalfoss, M. H., Low, G. and Molzahn, A. E. (2010). Reliability and validity of the attitudes to ageing questionnaire for Canadian and Norwegian older adults. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 24, 75–85. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-6712.2010.00786.x.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kinsella, K. and Wan, H. (2009). An aging world. P95/09-1. Washington, DC.: US Government Printing Office.Google Scholar
Kline, P. (2013). Handbook of Psychological Testing (p. 523). New York, NY: Routledge.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kunzmann, U., Little, T. D. and Smith, J. (2000). Is age-related stability of subjective well-being a paradox? Cross-sectional and longitudinal evidence from the Berlin Aging Study. Psychology and Aging, 15, 511–526. doi: 10.1037/0882-7974.15.3.511.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Laidlaw, K., Power, M. J. and Schmidt, S. (2007). The Attitudes to Ageing Questionnaire (AAQ): development and psychometric properties. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 22, 367–379. doi: 10.1002/gps.1683.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lawton, M. P. (1975). The Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale: a revision. Journals of Gerontology, 30, 85–89. doi: 10.1093/geronj/30.1.85.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Levy, B. (2003). Mind matters: cognitive and physical effects of ageing self-stereotypes Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 58B, 203–211. doi: 10.1093/geronb/58.4.P203.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Levy, B. R. (2009). Stereotype embodiment: a psychosocial approach to aging. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 18, 332–336. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8721.2009.01662.x.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lucas-Carrasco, R., Laidlaw, K., Gómez-Benito, J. and Power, M. J. (2013). Reliability and validity of the Attitudes to Ageing Questionnaire (AAQ) in older people in Spain. International Psychogeriatrics, 25 (3), 490–499. doi: 10.1017/S1041610212001809.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Martin, R., Williams, C. and O'Neill, D. (2009). Retrospective analysis of attitudes to ageing in the Economist: apocalyptic demography for opinion formers. British Medical Journal, 339, b4914. doi: 10.1136/bmj.b4914.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mottus, R., Johnson, W. and Deary, I. J. (2012). Personality traits in old age: measurement and rank-order stability and some mean-level change. Psychology and Aging, 27, 243–249. doi: 10.1037/a0023690.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nelson, H. E. and Willison, J. R. (1991). NART Test Manual (Part II). New York, NY: NFER-Nelson.Google Scholar
Office of Population Censuses and Surveys. (1970). Classification of Occupations 1970. London, UK: HMSO.Google Scholar
Quinn, K. M., Laidlaw, K. and Murray, L. K. (2009). Older peoples’ attitudes to mental illness. Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, 16, 33–45. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S1041610212000774.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
R Foundation for Statistical Computing. (2012). A Language and Environment for Statistical Computing. Vienna, Austria.Google Scholar
Roberts, B. W. and DelVecchio, W. F. (2000). The rank-order consistency of personality traits from childhood to old age: a quantitative review of longitudinal studies. Psychological Bulletin, 126, 3–25. doi: 10.1037/0033-2909.126.1.3.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Scheibe, S. and Carstensen, L. L. (2010). Emotional aging: recent findings and future trends. Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 65B, 135–144. doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbp132.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Terman, L. M. and Merrill, M. A. (1937). Measuring Intelligence: A Guide to the Administration of the New Revised Stanford-Binet Tests of Intelligence. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Company.Google Scholar
Townsend, P. (1979). Poverty in the United Kingdom: A Survey of Household Resources and Standards of Living. Harmondsworth, UK: Penguin.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Trigg, R., Watts, S., Jones, R., Tod, A. and Elliman, R. (2012). Self-reported quality of life ratings of people with dementia: the role of attitudes to aging. International Psychogeriatrics, 24, 1085–1093. doi: 10.1017/S1041610212000038.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wechsler, D. (1998). WMS-III UK Administration and Scoring Manual. London, UK: Psychological Corporation.Google Scholar
Zigmond, A. S. and Snaith, R. P. (1983). The hospital anxiety and depression scale. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 67, 361–370. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1983.tb09716.x.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed