Physiological Indicators of Stress and Intellectual Performance Among Anxious Older Adults

Kelly, Kenneth; Hayslip, Bert; Servaty, Heather L.; Ennis, Michael P.

doi:10.1080/0360126970230507

Cited by 8 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…This framework suggests that cognitive threats may be particularly informative to use when investigating the stress response among a wide range of individuals. Consistent with this notion, cognitive testing situations have been found to be stressful among younger (e.g., Seeman, Singer, Wilkinson, & McEwen, 2001), middle-aged, and older adults (e.g., Hayslip, 1989;Kelly, Hayslip, Servaty, & Ennis, 1997;Préville et al, 1996;Wetherell, Reynolds, Gatz, & Pedersen, 2002;Whitbourne, 1976). There is also reason to believe that cognitive challenges could be particularly salient among older individuals because, for example, older adults are even more concerned about cognitive abilities than are younger adults (e.g., Lachman, 1991).…”

mentioning

confidence: 95%

Physiological Reactivity to Cognitive Stressors: Variations by Age and Socioeconomic Status

Neupert

Miller

Lachman

2006

Int J Aging Hum Dev

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The present study focused on age and SES differences in stress reactivity in response to cognitively challenging tasks. Specifically, we assessed withinperson trajectories of cortisol, a steroid hormone released by the adrenal gland in response to stressors, before, during, and after exposure to cognitively challenging tasks. We extend the current literature by simultaneously examining age and SES differences in physiological reactivity. Findings suggest that age and SES both play an important role in reactivity, such that it was the older adults with higher SES who were the most physiologically reactive to cognitive stressors. Implications of these findings for cognitive aging research are discussed.The stress response is a natural and common function of the human body, but over time, it can also be harmful (Sapolsky, 1992).

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confidence: 95%

Physiological Reactivity to Cognitive Stressors: Variations by Age and Socioeconomic Status

Neupert

Miller

Lachman

2006

Int J Aging Hum Dev

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“…It has been suggested that older adults tend to be more invested in cognitive tasks due to a heightened sense of relevance or a social-evaluative threat (Dickerson & Kemeny, 2004;Hess, 2014). Relatedly, in a study focused specifically on anxious older adults, Kelly et al (1997) found that cortisol reactivity was negatively associated with intellectual self-efficacy when completing a fluid intelligence task. Such findings could suggest that although older adults have an increased physiological stress response relative to younger adults, additional individual differences, such as anxiety, may also play a key role in cognitive evaluation-related arousal (Dickerson & Kemeny, 2004).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Cognitive evaluation is often associated with elevated arousal and stress response, regardless of age. Younger adults (Seeman et al, 2001) as well as middle-aged and older adults (Armstrong et al, 2017; Kelly et al, 1997; Neupert et al, 2006; Wetherell et al, 2002) find cognitive testing situations stressful. However, threat of cognitive evaluation may be particularly salient among older individuals as they tend to be more concerned than younger adults about their cognitive abilities (Hess, 2014) and age-related cognitive decline (Lachman, 2004).…”

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confidence: 99%

State Anxiety Is Related to Cortisol Response During Cognitive Testing for Older Adults

Pearman

Neupert

Hughes

2020

Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine

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Cognitive testing situations can be stressful for both younger and older adults, but threats of cognitive evaluation may be particularly salient among anxious older individuals as they tend to be more concerned than younger adults about their cognitive abilities and age-related cognitive decline. We examined age-related differences in the effect of anxiety on cortisol responses during cognitive testing in a sample of 27 younger ( M = 19.8) and 29 older ( M = 71.2) adults. Older adults with higher anxiety also had higher during-task cortisol (suggesting higher reactivity to testing) than older adults with lower anxiety and young adults. There was no effect of anxiety on cortisol for younger adults. Simultaneously examining subjective (state anxiety) and physiological (cortisol response) indicators of threat during cognitive testing appears to be especially important for older adults with higher state anxiety. The results are important for understanding cortisol reactivity, particularly in older adults. Researchers who administer cognitive tests to older adults and clinicians who work with older adults with cognitive concerns and/or anxiety may want to consider how they present their material.

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Cognitive and Affective Theories of Adult Development

Hayslip¹,

Chapman²

2007

Handbook of Gerontology

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Physiological Indicators of Stress and Intellectual Performance Among Anxious Older Adults

Cited by 8 publications

References 28 publications

Physiological Reactivity to Cognitive Stressors: Variations by Age and Socioeconomic Status

Physiological Reactivity to Cognitive Stressors: Variations by Age and Socioeconomic Status

State Anxiety Is Related to Cortisol Response During Cognitive Testing for Older Adults

Cognitive and Affective Theories of Adult Development

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