Daniel Zimprich | Universität Ulm (original) (raw)
Papers by Daniel Zimprich
Experimental Aging Research
Memory & Cognition
It is generally accepted that autobiographical memories (AMs) are organised in associative networ... more It is generally accepted that autobiographical memories (AMs) are organised in associative networks. While both thematic and temporal similarity have been examined as connections among AMs, in the present study we focused on both the positive and negative emotional intensity of events as a possible link among AMs. To do so, we investigated whether the output order with which AMs elicited by cue words were reported can be accounted for emotional intensity of adjacent AMs. Data come from 94 older adults (M$$=$$ = 67.14; SD$$=$$ = 6.17) who reported 30 AMs in response to neutral cue words. Positive and negative emotional intensity of AMs were assessed on two separate scales (happiness and sadness). The output order was modeled based on a dual mixed-effects autoregressive model, where the strength of the autoregressive effect indicates how much the emotional intensity of an AM can be predicted by the emotional intensity of the previously reported AM. Results show that there were signifi...
Das mittlere Erwachsenenalter ruckt in den letzten Jahren starker in den Blickpunkt der kognitive... more Das mittlere Erwachsenenalter ruckt in den letzten Jahren starker in den Blickpunkt der kognitiven Lebensspannenforschung. Wahrend aufgrund von Mittelwertsverlaufen bisher die vermeintliche Stabilitat von Fahigkeiten im Vordergrund stand, sind es zunehmend starker die interindividuellen Unterschiede in der Kompetenzentwicklung, die langfristigen Auswirkungen belastender und forderlicher Lernbedingungen und die Forderung von Trainings- und Lernpotenzialen im mittleren Alter, die unmittelbare Wirkungen und mittelbare langfristige Wirkungen versprechen. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird ein Uberblick uber die Entwicklung einzelner kognitiver Kompetenzen und kompetenzgefahrdenden wie – fordernden Einflussen im mittleren Alter gegeben. Abschliesend werden konzeptionelle Modelle der kognitiven Leistung im mittleren Alter dargestellt und die Konsequenzen fur Interventionen zur Kompetenzforderung im mittleren Alter diskutiert.
Zeitschrift für Entwicklungspsychologie und Pädagogische Psychologie, 2003
Zusammenfassung. Beim verzögerten Ausführen multipler Intentionen tendieren ältere im Vergleich z... more Zusammenfassung. Beim verzögerten Ausführen multipler Intentionen tendieren ältere im Vergleich zu jüngeren Personen dazu, die prospektive Intention zum Wechsel zwischen verschiedenen Aufgabenteilen nicht vollständig auszuführen. Eine mögliche Erklärung für die schlechtere Performanz älterer Teilnehmer ist eine mangelnde Salienz der prospektiven Wechselanweisung; eine andere Erklärung ist, dass ältere Personen ihre Intentionen schlechter planen. In Experiment 1 mit 51 jungen und 48 alten Erwachsenen wurde daher die Salienz des Aufgabenwechsels manipuliert. Die Ergebnisse zeigen den bekannten Alterseffekt zugunsten der Jüngeren in der prospektiven Performanz. Die Gruppen profitieren jedoch nicht von der experimentellen Salienzmanipulation. Regressionsanalytisch zeigt sich, dass ein Großteil der altersbezogenen Varianz in der prospektiven Gedächtnisaufgabe durch individuelle Unterschiede in der Intentionsplanung erklärt werden kann. In Experiment 2 mit 30 jungen und 30 alten Erwachsen...
Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders, 2006
Background/Aims: The aim of this study was to explore if prospective memory complaints reflect ac... more Background/Aims: The aim of this study was to explore if prospective memory complaints reflect actual prospective memory performance in older adults. Methods: Three hundred and sixty-four older adults aged 65–80 years were investigated with regard to prospective memory complaints, prospective memory test performance, self-reported depressive symptoms, and self-reported memory capacity. Results: Separate analyses revealed that about half of the participants showed a significant relation between subjective and objective prospective memory. Conclusion: Older adults appear to be heterogeneous with regard to the association between objective and subjective prospective memory. For older adults with relatively few depressive symptoms and memory concerns, prospective memory complaints may serve as a valid criterion in the assessment of prospective memory ability.
Acta Dermato-Venereologica, 2001
In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird die Entwicklung und Validierung eines Fragebogens vorgestellt, de... more In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird die Entwicklung und Validierung eines Fragebogens vorgestellt, der auf den Überlegungen von Fritz (1997) zu einem Wirkungsmodell virtueller Welten basiert. Dieses Selbstbeurteilungsinstrument erfasst mit 40 Items Transferprozesse im Zusammenhang mit dem Spielen von Computer-und Videospielen. Die fünf Skalen des Fragebogens zum Erleben von Computerspielen (FEC) wurden durch faktorenanalytische Untersuchungen an einer repräsentativen Stichprobe von insgesamt 597 Spielern gewonnen und auf ihre psychometrische Qualität überprüft. Die Fragebogenskalen erweisen sich als reliabel. Weiterführende Analysen weisen Zusammenhänge der Skalen mit dem Spielkonsum, soziodemografischen Merkmalen der Spieler, Genrepräferenzen und Persönlichkeitseigenschaften nach. Eine abschließende Validierungsstudie an 574 Spielern von Call of Duty und Grand Theft Auto belegt die Konstruktvalidität der FEC-Skalen.
Zeitschrift für Entwicklungspsychologie und Pädagogische Psychologie, 2010
Zusammenfassung. Die vorliegende Studie beschäftigt sich mit der Frage, ob sich die Persönlichkei... more Zusammenfassung. Die vorliegende Studie beschäftigt sich mit der Frage, ob sich die Persönlichkeit im mittleren Erwachsenenalter verändert. Mit Daten der Interdisziplinären Längsschnittstudie des Erwachsenenalters (ILSE) wurden die differenzielle Stabilität, Mittelwertsveränderungen und individuelle Veränderungen von Persönlichkeitseigenschaften zu drei Messzeitpunkten über einen Zeitraum von 12 Jahren untersucht. Die Stichprobe bestand aus 323 Erwachsenen mit einer Alterspanne von 42 bis 46 Jahren zu Beginn der Studie. Die Resultate weisen bei Neurotizismus und Extraversion auf kleine Mittelwertsveränderungen hin. Die längsschnittlichen Stabilitätskoeffizienten bewegten sich um den Wert .70, was auf eine hohe differenzielle Stabilität hinweist. Schließlich findet sich bei 67% der Erwachsenen mittleren Alters mindestens eine reliable Veränderung in einer Persönlichkeitsdimension innerhalb eines Messzeitraums. Insgesamt legen die längsschnittlichen Ergebnisse nahe, dass die Persönlic...
Zusammenfassung. Interessen sind in der Berufs- und pädagogischen Psychologie, nicht aber in der ... more Zusammenfassung. Interessen sind in der Berufs- und pädagogischen Psychologie, nicht aber in der Sportpsychologie, ein zentrales Persönlichkeitskonstrukt zur Erklärung menschlichen Erlebens und Verhaltens. Der Sportinteressentest (SPIT) ist auf der Basis der Theorie von Holland (1997) und der Konditionsfaktoren Ausdauer, Schnelligkeit, Koordination und Kraft zur Erfassung sportbezogener Interessen entwickelt und an 1 243 Jugendlichen teststatistisch überprüft worden. In konfirmatorischen Faktorenanalysen erwiesen sich 11 Skalen als eindimensional; ihre interne Konsistenz schwankte zwischen .71 und .87. Die Korrelationen des SPIT mit dem Allgemeinen Interessen-Struktur-Test ( Bergmann & Eder, 2005 ) und den Skalen zur Erfassung des physischen Selbstkonzepts ( Stiller, Würth & Alfermann, 2004 ) fielen weitgehend erwartungskonform aus. Mit dem SPIT liegt ein Verfahren vor, das sich zum Screening multidimensionaler Interessenprofile und zur Beschreibung jugendlicher Zielgruppen im Freizeit- und Gesundheitssport anbietet.
Innovation in Aging, 2020
When older adults are asked to remember their lives, they recall disproportionally more events fr... more When older adults are asked to remember their lives, they recall disproportionally more events from their youth (e.g., Rubin, Rahhal, & Poon, 1998). This phenomenon, called the reminiscence bump, is one of the most robust findings in autobiographical memory research. Whereas most explanatory accounts have focused on differential encoding and retention of memories experienced during one’s youth (e.g., Rubin et al., 1998), recent research also puts emphasis on the retrieval of memories (e.g., Glück & Bluck, 2009; Rubin & Berntsen, 2003). In the present study, we take a functional perspective on the reminiscence bump and examine why older adults recall memories from their past. Participants (age 57-89; N = 112) reported memories in response to 30 emotionally neutral cue-words and self-rated each memory for serving directive, social-bonding, self-continuity, and mood-enhancing functions (Wolf & Demiray, 2019). The age distribution shows an early reminiscence bump located between the age...
Biological Psychology, 2020
In a recently published article, Zamariola and colleagues (2018) listed four problems of interoce... more In a recently published article, Zamariola and colleagues (2018) listed four problems of interoceptive accuracy (IAcc) scores as measured with Schandry's heartbeat counting task. In this comment, we clarify that IAcc scores are ratio variables, the analyses of which can result in misleading interpretations and incorrect conclusions. We examine the findings of Zamariola et al. (2018) by reanalyzing their data using statistical methods more adequate than the bivariate correlational analyses conducted by Zamariola and colleagues (2018) and by reinterpreting the results taking into account the fact that IAcc scores are ratio variables. Our findings indicate that the problems enlisted by Zamariola et al. (2018) can mainly be attributed to the statistical nature of IAcc scores and to the analysis approach of using bivariate correlations. We infer that the problems of IAcc scores mentioned by Zamariola and colleagues (2018) are not as serious as they might appear at first glance. In turn, we briefly mention some other problems of IAcc scores researchers may face based on the fact that ratio variables are bounded.
The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 2019
Objective Handgrip strength, an indicator of overall muscle strength, has been found to be associ... more Objective Handgrip strength, an indicator of overall muscle strength, has been found to be associated with slower rate of cognitive decline and decreased risk for cognitive impairment and dementia. However, evaluating the replicability of associations between aging-related changes in physical and cognitive functioning is challenging due to differences in study designs and analytical models. A multiple-study coordinated analysis approach was used to generate new longitudinal results based on comparable construct-level measurements and identical statistical models and to facilitate replication and research synthesis. Methods We performed coordinated analysis on 9 cohort studies affiliated with the Integrative Analysis of Longitudinal Studies of Aging and Dementia (IALSA) research network. Bivariate linear mixed models were used to examine associations among individual differences in baseline level, rate of change, and occasion-specific variation across grip strength and indicators of ...
GeroPsych, 2019
. Research on cognitive aging demonstrates age-related cognitive decline. Education is a protecti... more . Research on cognitive aging demonstrates age-related cognitive decline. Education is a protective factor against cognitive decline, but few studies have examined the cognitive development of highly educated individuals. This study compared the cognitive performance and intellectual engagement of retired professors ( N = 47, Mage = 72.9) and individuals with average education ( N = 236, Mage = 72.7) over 5 years. Although the highly educated sample showed better performance in perceptual speed and working memory, cognitive performance was rather stable over time in both samples. Interestingly, high intellectual engagement enabled individuals with average education to keep up with the performance of the highly educated sample on perceptual speed. These findings raise the question whether intellectual engagement is more beneficial than years of education in perceptual speed.
Memory & Cognition, 2018
In many studies of autobiographical memory, participants are asked to generate more than one auto... more In many studies of autobiographical memory, participants are asked to generate more than one autobiographical memory. The resulting data then have a hierarchical or multilevel structure, in the sense that the autobiographical memories (Level 1) generated by the same person (Level 2) tend to be more similar. Transferred to an analysis of the reminiscence bump in autobiographical memory, at Level 1 the prediction of whether an autobiographical memory will fall within the reminiscence bump is based on the characteristics of that memory. At Level 2, the prediction of whether an individual will report more autobiographical memories that fall in the reminiscence bump is based on the characteristics of the individual. We suggest a multilevel multinomial model that allows for analyzing whether an autobiographical memory falls in the reminiscence bump at both levels of analysis simultaneously. The data come from 100 older participants who reported up to 33 autobiographical memories. Our results showed that about 12% of the total variance was between persons (Level 2). Moreover, at Level 1, memories of first-time experiences were more likely to fall in the reminiscence bump than were emotionally more positive memories. At Level 2, persons who reported more emotionally positive memories tended to report fewer memories from the life period after the reminiscence bump. In addition, cross-level interactions showed that the effects at Level 1 partly depended on the Level 2 effects. We discuss possible extensions of the model we present and the meaning of our findings for two prominent explanatory approaches to the reminiscence bump, as well as future directions.
European Journal of Ageing, 2016
In the present study, the distribution of autobiographical memories was examined from a functiona... more In the present study, the distribution of autobiographical memories was examined from a functional perspective: we examined whether the extent to which long-term autobiographical memories were rated as having a self-, a directive, or a social function affects the location (mean age) and scale (standard deviation) of the memory distribution. Analyses were based on a total of 5598 autobiographical memories generated by 149 adults aged between 50 and 81 years in response to 51 cue-words. Participants provided their age at the time when the recalled events had happened and rated how frequently they recall these events for self-, directive, and social purposes. While more frequently using autobiographical memories for self-functions was associated with an earlier mean age, memories frequently shared with others showed a narrower distribution around a later mean age. The directive function, by contrast, did not affect the memory distribution. The results strengthen the assumption that experiences from an individual's late adolescence serve to maintain a sense of self-continuity throughout the lifespan. Experiences that are frequently shared with others, in contrast, stem from a narrow age range located in young adulthood. Keywords Reminiscence bump Á Lifespan distribution Á Functions of autobiographical memory Á Older age Á Longterm autobiographical memories & Tabea Wolf
Z Gerontol Geriatrie, 2001
Z Entwicklungspsychol Padago, 2010
Memory, 2015
The reminiscence bump phenomenon has frequently been reported for the recall of autobiographical ... more The reminiscence bump phenomenon has frequently been reported for the recall of autobiographical memories. The present study complements previous research by examining individual differences in the distribution of word-cued autobiographical memories. More importantly, we introduce predictor variables that might account for individual differences in the mean (location) and the standard deviation (scale) of individual memory distributions. All variables were derived from different theoretical accounts for the reminiscence bump phenomenon. We used a mixed location-scale logitnormal model, to analyse the 4602 autobiographical memories reported by 118 older participants. Results show reliable individual differences in the location and the scale. After controlling for age and gender, individual proportions of first-time experiences and individual proportions of positive memories, as well as the ratings on Openness to new Experiences and Self-Concept Clarity accounted for 29% of individual differences in location and 42% of individual differences in scale of autobiographical memory distributions. Results dovetail with a life-story account for the reminiscence bump which integrates central components of previous accounts.
Experimental Aging Research
Memory & Cognition
It is generally accepted that autobiographical memories (AMs) are organised in associative networ... more It is generally accepted that autobiographical memories (AMs) are organised in associative networks. While both thematic and temporal similarity have been examined as connections among AMs, in the present study we focused on both the positive and negative emotional intensity of events as a possible link among AMs. To do so, we investigated whether the output order with which AMs elicited by cue words were reported can be accounted for emotional intensity of adjacent AMs. Data come from 94 older adults (M$$=$$ = 67.14; SD$$=$$ = 6.17) who reported 30 AMs in response to neutral cue words. Positive and negative emotional intensity of AMs were assessed on two separate scales (happiness and sadness). The output order was modeled based on a dual mixed-effects autoregressive model, where the strength of the autoregressive effect indicates how much the emotional intensity of an AM can be predicted by the emotional intensity of the previously reported AM. Results show that there were signifi...
Das mittlere Erwachsenenalter ruckt in den letzten Jahren starker in den Blickpunkt der kognitive... more Das mittlere Erwachsenenalter ruckt in den letzten Jahren starker in den Blickpunkt der kognitiven Lebensspannenforschung. Wahrend aufgrund von Mittelwertsverlaufen bisher die vermeintliche Stabilitat von Fahigkeiten im Vordergrund stand, sind es zunehmend starker die interindividuellen Unterschiede in der Kompetenzentwicklung, die langfristigen Auswirkungen belastender und forderlicher Lernbedingungen und die Forderung von Trainings- und Lernpotenzialen im mittleren Alter, die unmittelbare Wirkungen und mittelbare langfristige Wirkungen versprechen. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird ein Uberblick uber die Entwicklung einzelner kognitiver Kompetenzen und kompetenzgefahrdenden wie – fordernden Einflussen im mittleren Alter gegeben. Abschliesend werden konzeptionelle Modelle der kognitiven Leistung im mittleren Alter dargestellt und die Konsequenzen fur Interventionen zur Kompetenzforderung im mittleren Alter diskutiert.
Zeitschrift für Entwicklungspsychologie und Pädagogische Psychologie, 2003
Zusammenfassung. Beim verzögerten Ausführen multipler Intentionen tendieren ältere im Vergleich z... more Zusammenfassung. Beim verzögerten Ausführen multipler Intentionen tendieren ältere im Vergleich zu jüngeren Personen dazu, die prospektive Intention zum Wechsel zwischen verschiedenen Aufgabenteilen nicht vollständig auszuführen. Eine mögliche Erklärung für die schlechtere Performanz älterer Teilnehmer ist eine mangelnde Salienz der prospektiven Wechselanweisung; eine andere Erklärung ist, dass ältere Personen ihre Intentionen schlechter planen. In Experiment 1 mit 51 jungen und 48 alten Erwachsenen wurde daher die Salienz des Aufgabenwechsels manipuliert. Die Ergebnisse zeigen den bekannten Alterseffekt zugunsten der Jüngeren in der prospektiven Performanz. Die Gruppen profitieren jedoch nicht von der experimentellen Salienzmanipulation. Regressionsanalytisch zeigt sich, dass ein Großteil der altersbezogenen Varianz in der prospektiven Gedächtnisaufgabe durch individuelle Unterschiede in der Intentionsplanung erklärt werden kann. In Experiment 2 mit 30 jungen und 30 alten Erwachsen...
Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders, 2006
Background/Aims: The aim of this study was to explore if prospective memory complaints reflect ac... more Background/Aims: The aim of this study was to explore if prospective memory complaints reflect actual prospective memory performance in older adults. Methods: Three hundred and sixty-four older adults aged 65–80 years were investigated with regard to prospective memory complaints, prospective memory test performance, self-reported depressive symptoms, and self-reported memory capacity. Results: Separate analyses revealed that about half of the participants showed a significant relation between subjective and objective prospective memory. Conclusion: Older adults appear to be heterogeneous with regard to the association between objective and subjective prospective memory. For older adults with relatively few depressive symptoms and memory concerns, prospective memory complaints may serve as a valid criterion in the assessment of prospective memory ability.
Acta Dermato-Venereologica, 2001
In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird die Entwicklung und Validierung eines Fragebogens vorgestellt, de... more In der vorliegenden Arbeit wird die Entwicklung und Validierung eines Fragebogens vorgestellt, der auf den Überlegungen von Fritz (1997) zu einem Wirkungsmodell virtueller Welten basiert. Dieses Selbstbeurteilungsinstrument erfasst mit 40 Items Transferprozesse im Zusammenhang mit dem Spielen von Computer-und Videospielen. Die fünf Skalen des Fragebogens zum Erleben von Computerspielen (FEC) wurden durch faktorenanalytische Untersuchungen an einer repräsentativen Stichprobe von insgesamt 597 Spielern gewonnen und auf ihre psychometrische Qualität überprüft. Die Fragebogenskalen erweisen sich als reliabel. Weiterführende Analysen weisen Zusammenhänge der Skalen mit dem Spielkonsum, soziodemografischen Merkmalen der Spieler, Genrepräferenzen und Persönlichkeitseigenschaften nach. Eine abschließende Validierungsstudie an 574 Spielern von Call of Duty und Grand Theft Auto belegt die Konstruktvalidität der FEC-Skalen.
Zeitschrift für Entwicklungspsychologie und Pädagogische Psychologie, 2010
Zusammenfassung. Die vorliegende Studie beschäftigt sich mit der Frage, ob sich die Persönlichkei... more Zusammenfassung. Die vorliegende Studie beschäftigt sich mit der Frage, ob sich die Persönlichkeit im mittleren Erwachsenenalter verändert. Mit Daten der Interdisziplinären Längsschnittstudie des Erwachsenenalters (ILSE) wurden die differenzielle Stabilität, Mittelwertsveränderungen und individuelle Veränderungen von Persönlichkeitseigenschaften zu drei Messzeitpunkten über einen Zeitraum von 12 Jahren untersucht. Die Stichprobe bestand aus 323 Erwachsenen mit einer Alterspanne von 42 bis 46 Jahren zu Beginn der Studie. Die Resultate weisen bei Neurotizismus und Extraversion auf kleine Mittelwertsveränderungen hin. Die längsschnittlichen Stabilitätskoeffizienten bewegten sich um den Wert .70, was auf eine hohe differenzielle Stabilität hinweist. Schließlich findet sich bei 67% der Erwachsenen mittleren Alters mindestens eine reliable Veränderung in einer Persönlichkeitsdimension innerhalb eines Messzeitraums. Insgesamt legen die längsschnittlichen Ergebnisse nahe, dass die Persönlic...
Zusammenfassung. Interessen sind in der Berufs- und pädagogischen Psychologie, nicht aber in der ... more Zusammenfassung. Interessen sind in der Berufs- und pädagogischen Psychologie, nicht aber in der Sportpsychologie, ein zentrales Persönlichkeitskonstrukt zur Erklärung menschlichen Erlebens und Verhaltens. Der Sportinteressentest (SPIT) ist auf der Basis der Theorie von Holland (1997) und der Konditionsfaktoren Ausdauer, Schnelligkeit, Koordination und Kraft zur Erfassung sportbezogener Interessen entwickelt und an 1 243 Jugendlichen teststatistisch überprüft worden. In konfirmatorischen Faktorenanalysen erwiesen sich 11 Skalen als eindimensional; ihre interne Konsistenz schwankte zwischen .71 und .87. Die Korrelationen des SPIT mit dem Allgemeinen Interessen-Struktur-Test ( Bergmann & Eder, 2005 ) und den Skalen zur Erfassung des physischen Selbstkonzepts ( Stiller, Würth & Alfermann, 2004 ) fielen weitgehend erwartungskonform aus. Mit dem SPIT liegt ein Verfahren vor, das sich zum Screening multidimensionaler Interessenprofile und zur Beschreibung jugendlicher Zielgruppen im Freizeit- und Gesundheitssport anbietet.
Innovation in Aging, 2020
When older adults are asked to remember their lives, they recall disproportionally more events fr... more When older adults are asked to remember their lives, they recall disproportionally more events from their youth (e.g., Rubin, Rahhal, & Poon, 1998). This phenomenon, called the reminiscence bump, is one of the most robust findings in autobiographical memory research. Whereas most explanatory accounts have focused on differential encoding and retention of memories experienced during one’s youth (e.g., Rubin et al., 1998), recent research also puts emphasis on the retrieval of memories (e.g., Glück & Bluck, 2009; Rubin & Berntsen, 2003). In the present study, we take a functional perspective on the reminiscence bump and examine why older adults recall memories from their past. Participants (age 57-89; N = 112) reported memories in response to 30 emotionally neutral cue-words and self-rated each memory for serving directive, social-bonding, self-continuity, and mood-enhancing functions (Wolf & Demiray, 2019). The age distribution shows an early reminiscence bump located between the age...
Biological Psychology, 2020
In a recently published article, Zamariola and colleagues (2018) listed four problems of interoce... more In a recently published article, Zamariola and colleagues (2018) listed four problems of interoceptive accuracy (IAcc) scores as measured with Schandry's heartbeat counting task. In this comment, we clarify that IAcc scores are ratio variables, the analyses of which can result in misleading interpretations and incorrect conclusions. We examine the findings of Zamariola et al. (2018) by reanalyzing their data using statistical methods more adequate than the bivariate correlational analyses conducted by Zamariola and colleagues (2018) and by reinterpreting the results taking into account the fact that IAcc scores are ratio variables. Our findings indicate that the problems enlisted by Zamariola et al. (2018) can mainly be attributed to the statistical nature of IAcc scores and to the analysis approach of using bivariate correlations. We infer that the problems of IAcc scores mentioned by Zamariola and colleagues (2018) are not as serious as they might appear at first glance. In turn, we briefly mention some other problems of IAcc scores researchers may face based on the fact that ratio variables are bounded.
The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 2019
Objective Handgrip strength, an indicator of overall muscle strength, has been found to be associ... more Objective Handgrip strength, an indicator of overall muscle strength, has been found to be associated with slower rate of cognitive decline and decreased risk for cognitive impairment and dementia. However, evaluating the replicability of associations between aging-related changes in physical and cognitive functioning is challenging due to differences in study designs and analytical models. A multiple-study coordinated analysis approach was used to generate new longitudinal results based on comparable construct-level measurements and identical statistical models and to facilitate replication and research synthesis. Methods We performed coordinated analysis on 9 cohort studies affiliated with the Integrative Analysis of Longitudinal Studies of Aging and Dementia (IALSA) research network. Bivariate linear mixed models were used to examine associations among individual differences in baseline level, rate of change, and occasion-specific variation across grip strength and indicators of ...
GeroPsych, 2019
. Research on cognitive aging demonstrates age-related cognitive decline. Education is a protecti... more . Research on cognitive aging demonstrates age-related cognitive decline. Education is a protective factor against cognitive decline, but few studies have examined the cognitive development of highly educated individuals. This study compared the cognitive performance and intellectual engagement of retired professors ( N = 47, Mage = 72.9) and individuals with average education ( N = 236, Mage = 72.7) over 5 years. Although the highly educated sample showed better performance in perceptual speed and working memory, cognitive performance was rather stable over time in both samples. Interestingly, high intellectual engagement enabled individuals with average education to keep up with the performance of the highly educated sample on perceptual speed. These findings raise the question whether intellectual engagement is more beneficial than years of education in perceptual speed.
Memory & Cognition, 2018
In many studies of autobiographical memory, participants are asked to generate more than one auto... more In many studies of autobiographical memory, participants are asked to generate more than one autobiographical memory. The resulting data then have a hierarchical or multilevel structure, in the sense that the autobiographical memories (Level 1) generated by the same person (Level 2) tend to be more similar. Transferred to an analysis of the reminiscence bump in autobiographical memory, at Level 1 the prediction of whether an autobiographical memory will fall within the reminiscence bump is based on the characteristics of that memory. At Level 2, the prediction of whether an individual will report more autobiographical memories that fall in the reminiscence bump is based on the characteristics of the individual. We suggest a multilevel multinomial model that allows for analyzing whether an autobiographical memory falls in the reminiscence bump at both levels of analysis simultaneously. The data come from 100 older participants who reported up to 33 autobiographical memories. Our results showed that about 12% of the total variance was between persons (Level 2). Moreover, at Level 1, memories of first-time experiences were more likely to fall in the reminiscence bump than were emotionally more positive memories. At Level 2, persons who reported more emotionally positive memories tended to report fewer memories from the life period after the reminiscence bump. In addition, cross-level interactions showed that the effects at Level 1 partly depended on the Level 2 effects. We discuss possible extensions of the model we present and the meaning of our findings for two prominent explanatory approaches to the reminiscence bump, as well as future directions.
European Journal of Ageing, 2016
In the present study, the distribution of autobiographical memories was examined from a functiona... more In the present study, the distribution of autobiographical memories was examined from a functional perspective: we examined whether the extent to which long-term autobiographical memories were rated as having a self-, a directive, or a social function affects the location (mean age) and scale (standard deviation) of the memory distribution. Analyses were based on a total of 5598 autobiographical memories generated by 149 adults aged between 50 and 81 years in response to 51 cue-words. Participants provided their age at the time when the recalled events had happened and rated how frequently they recall these events for self-, directive, and social purposes. While more frequently using autobiographical memories for self-functions was associated with an earlier mean age, memories frequently shared with others showed a narrower distribution around a later mean age. The directive function, by contrast, did not affect the memory distribution. The results strengthen the assumption that experiences from an individual's late adolescence serve to maintain a sense of self-continuity throughout the lifespan. Experiences that are frequently shared with others, in contrast, stem from a narrow age range located in young adulthood. Keywords Reminiscence bump Á Lifespan distribution Á Functions of autobiographical memory Á Older age Á Longterm autobiographical memories & Tabea Wolf
Z Gerontol Geriatrie, 2001
Z Entwicklungspsychol Padago, 2010
Memory, 2015
The reminiscence bump phenomenon has frequently been reported for the recall of autobiographical ... more The reminiscence bump phenomenon has frequently been reported for the recall of autobiographical memories. The present study complements previous research by examining individual differences in the distribution of word-cued autobiographical memories. More importantly, we introduce predictor variables that might account for individual differences in the mean (location) and the standard deviation (scale) of individual memory distributions. All variables were derived from different theoretical accounts for the reminiscence bump phenomenon. We used a mixed location-scale logitnormal model, to analyse the 4602 autobiographical memories reported by 118 older participants. Results show reliable individual differences in the location and the scale. After controlling for age and gender, individual proportions of first-time experiences and individual proportions of positive memories, as well as the ratings on Openness to new Experiences and Self-Concept Clarity accounted for 29% of individual differences in location and 42% of individual differences in scale of autobiographical memory distributions. Results dovetail with a life-story account for the reminiscence bump which integrates central components of previous accounts.