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My Program of Cognitive Aging Research

My research program emphasizes risk factors and interventions designed to influence the frequent complaint of "memory loss" in at-risk older adults. The endemic fear of losing one's memory is one of the most widespread complaints about cognitive aging. Older adults often use general or specific incidents of forgetting to interpret the effectiveness of their memory ability and awareness (McDougall, 1994).

The inclusion of a domain-specific measure of self-efficacy provided a novel approach to investigate cognitive aging phenomena. Within the tradition of measuring intelligence in an aging population, Woodruff-Pak (1989) identified four perspectives of research conducted during the 20th century: Age-related Decline, Stability versus Decline, Manipulation of Adult IQ, and Growth of Adult Intellect. My research incorporates aspects of all phases (See schematic diagram below) and the various projects have been funded from the National Institutes on Aging, National Institute of Mental Health, and/or National Institute of Nursing Research. These findings have been disseminated in interdisciplinary and Nursing journals.

Currently, the Cognitive Behavioral Model of Everyday Memory (CBMEM), a psychosocial intervention model is being tested in a 5-year (2001-2006) NIA-funded study. The CBMEM utilizes a program-specific operationalization of Bandura's self-efficacy theory. The participants include Caucasian-, African-, and Hispanic American elders.

Recently, my interests have focused on explaining gender differences in cognitive aging. The incidence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other dementias is clearly greater in females; however, the prevailing belief does not include the widespread occurrence that aging males have significantly greater memory impairment than do females (see bar graph from National Health and Retirement Study).