Stereotypes around aging can negatively impact memory and hearing

Old age is typically associated with the loss of mental capabilities. But, a new research led by researchers at the University of Toronto has revealed that there is a different aspect to this occurrence. The study shows that when older adults feel negatively about aging, they tend to lose confidence in their abilities to hear and remember things, and perform poorly at both.  The results of the study were published recently in Psychology and Aging.

Alison Chasteen, lead author of the study and a professor in U of T’s Department of Psychology remarked that people’s feelings about getting older have an influence on their sensory and cognitive functions. Ironically, these feelings drop from stereotypes about getting older and comments made by those around them that their hearing and memory are failing.  Hence, there is a need to take a deeper approach to understanding the factors that influence their daily lives.

The study was coauthored by researchers at the University of Toronto, Baycrest Health Sciences, the James H.Quillen VA Medical Center, and Phonak AG. The research was supported by a Catalyst Grant from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research

Three variables were examined as a part of the study – views on aging, self-perceptions of one’s abilities to hear and remember, and one’s actual performance of both functions. The idea was to uncover connections between them. 301 adults between the ages of 56 and 96 were chosen as participants of the study. They completed standard hearing tests to determine their ability to hear which were followed by a series of recall tasks to test their memory. A third test needed them to listen to and repeat a list of five words, and then recall them after a five-minute delay. These tests provided an accurate measurement of each participant’s performance in both functions.

Later the participants were made to respond to a series of questions and statements relating to their own perceptions of their hearing and memory abilities. They were asked to agree or disagree with statements like – “I am good at remembering names,” or “I can easily have a conversation on the telephone. In order to assess their views on aging, the participants were asked to imagine 15 scenarios and rate their concerns about each based on age. Each scenario asked them about their opinion about how they felt about being old, losing their independence, becoming more forgetful, etc.

Chasteen remarked that it was found that those who held negative views about getting older and about the challenges old age brings to their abilities to hear and remember things, also did poorly on the hearing and memory tests. Well, the reverse doesn't hold good in all cases “ that is to say that all older adults who demonstrate poor capacities for hearing and memory have negative views of aging. The crux of the findings is a negative view impacts an individual’s confidence in the ability to function.

Chasteen is of the opinion that it is important to take into account the perceptions older people have about their abilities to function and how they feel about aging when determining their cognitive and sensory health. She opines that educating older people about ways in which they can influence their aging experience like providing them with training exercises to enhance their cognitive and physical performance, and disspelling stereotypes about aging can be really helpful

To sum up the results of the study – changing how older adults feel about themselves could improve their abilities to hear and remember and will enable the development of interventions to improve their quality of life.

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References:

https://news.artsci.utoronto.ca/all-news/aging-hearing-memory/

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-12-stereotypes-aging-negatively-impact-memory.html