A Growth Curve Model of Learning Acquisition among Cognitively Normal Older Adults

Abstract

Address correspondence to Richard N. Jones, ScD, Senior Research Associate, Hebrew Rehabilitation Center for Aged, Research and Training Institute, 1200 Centre Street, Boston, MA 02131, USA. jones@mail.hrca.harvard.edu. A preliminary version of this study was presented at the 54th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Gerontological Society of America, November 16, 2001, Chicago, Illinois. The ACTIVE study (Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly) is a multisite collaborative cognitive intervention trial. The National Institute on Aging Scientific Coordinator at the time of award was Jared Jobe, and current is Daniel Berch. The National Institute on Nursing Research Scientific Coordinator at the time of award was Mary Levek, and is now Karin Helmers. Sharon Tennstedt is the principal investigator at the coordinating center, New England Research Institutes, Watertown, Massachusetts (AG14282). The principal investigators and field sites include Karlene Ball, University of Alabama at Birmingham (AG14289); Michael Marsiske, Institute on Aging, University of Florida, Gainesville (AG14276); John Morris, Hebrew Rehabilitation Center for Aged Research and Training Institute, Boston (NR04507); George Rebok, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health (AG14260); and Sherry Willis, Penn State University, Gerontology Center (AG14263). David Smith was the principal investigator at Indiana University School of Medicine, Regenstrief Institute, Indianapolis (NR04508), at the time of initial award, currently Fred Unverzagt is the principal investigator. NIH Public Access Author ManuscriptExp Aging Res. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2010 July 23. NIH-PA Author ManuscriptNIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author ManuscriptThe objective of this study was to model recall and learning on the Auditory Verbal Learning Test using latent growth curve techniques. Participants were older adults recruited for the ACTIVE cognitive intervention pilot. A series of nested models revealed that an approximately logarithmic growth curve model provided optimal fit to the data. Although recall and learning factors were statistically uncorrelated, a fitted multivariate model suggested that initial recall was significantly associated with demographic characteristics but unrelated to health factors and cognitive abilities. Individual differences in learning were related to race/ethnicity, speed of processing, verbal knowledge, and global cognitive function level. These results suggest that failing to recognize initial recall and learning as distinct constructs clouds the interpretation of supraspan memory tasks.The Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT) is one of the oldest and most widely used tests of memory functioning (Boake, 2000;Rey, 1964). The AVLT measures many aspects of memory for words, including immediate memory span (initial recall), learning, and retention following an intrusion (Lezak, 1995). The continued relevance of the AVLT is reflected in the availability of norms for various population...

Differential effects of intelligence, perceptual speed and age on growth in attentional speed and accuracy

“…Several researchers have investigated the relation of growth curve parameters, i.e., baseline performance and performance growth, to intelligence and other predictors to investigate determinants of individual differences in skill-acquisition (e.g., Jones et al, 2005;Voelkle, Wittmann, & Ackerman, 2006) or the specificity of learning ability with respect to task material (e.g., Zhang, Davis, Salthouse, & Tucker-Drob, 2007). These studies provide some support for Ackerman's theory.…”

“…Baseline performance increased up to the age group 19-39 years; across older age groups there was a decrease in baseline performance. Jones et al (2005) investigated in a sample of older adults the influence of predictors on growth curve parameters when performing an auditory verbal learning test including multiple recall trials. Their study showed that baseline recall performance was significantly associated with demographic characteristics, e.g., age had a negative effect on baseline performance, but unrelated to health factors and cognitive abilities.…”

“…Following the approach by Jones et al (2005), the loadings specifying the shape were scaled so that the final time step was equal to 1, that is, the loadings were fixed to λ PGt = ln(1)/ln (6), ln(2)/ln(6), ln(3)/ ln(6), ln(4)/ln(6), ln(5)/ln(6), ln(6)/ln(6). Thereby, the estimated mean for the performance growth factor can be interpreted as average gain over 6 min of testing.…”

Individual differences in criterion-based dropout learning in old age: the role of processing speed and verbal knowledge

“…Regarding possible mechanisms of how verbal knowledge affects individual differences in learning, there are some studies that provided evidence for a positive relation between verbal knowledge and verbal learning (Jones et al 2005;Kyllonen et al 1991;Rast 2011). Rast (2011 emphasized, in particular, the role of verbal knowledge for learning rates in old age.…”

Accumulation of Welfare Problems in a Longitudinal Perspective

“…The latent deprivation index will be used as input values in an LGC model (Hamaker 2005;Jones et al 2005;Llabre et al 2004). The basic idea of growth modelling is to describe developmental trajectories over time in terms of parsimonious models.…”