Aging attitudes and changes in the costs of cognitive engagement in older adults over 5 years.

ABSTRACT: The costs associated with performing a specific activity may play an important role in determining engagement, potentially impacting the willingness of older adults to engage in activities-particularly those with high demands-that may have benefits for physical and cognitive health. The present study examined changes in both objective (effort expenditure) and subjective (perceived task demands) costs associated with engagement in a cognitively challenging memory-scan task across a 5-year period in 163 older adults aged 64-81. Consistent with assumptions of selective engagement theory (SET; Hess, 2014), the effort associated with performing the task-as assessed by systolic blood pressure responses-was observed to increase over time. Subjective assessments of costs, as assessed by the Nation

SUBMITTER: Hess TM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10027369 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature