The Effects of Sustained Literacy Engagement on Cognition and Sentence Processing Among Older Adults
Considerable evidence suggests that language processing depends on memory processes, which are vulnerable to declines with aging. Yet little is known about the effects of language processing in the form of sustained literacy engagement on memory and other aspects of cognition. In the current study,...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.923795/full |
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| author | Elizabeth A. L. Stine-Morrow Elizabeth A. L. Stine-Morrow Giavanna S. McCall Giavanna S. McCall Ilber Manavbasi Shukhan Ng Daniel A. Llano Aron K. Barbey Aron K. Barbey |
| author_facet | Elizabeth A. L. Stine-Morrow Elizabeth A. L. Stine-Morrow Giavanna S. McCall Giavanna S. McCall Ilber Manavbasi Shukhan Ng Daniel A. Llano Aron K. Barbey Aron K. Barbey |
| author_sort | Elizabeth A. L. Stine-Morrow |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Considerable evidence suggests that language processing depends on memory processes, which are vulnerable to declines with aging. Yet little is known about the effects of language processing in the form of sustained literacy engagement on memory and other aspects of cognition. In the current study, adults (60–79 years of age) were randomly assigned to an 8-week program of leisure reading (n = 38) or to an active puzzle control (n = 38). Relative to the control, the experimental group showed differential improvement in verbal working memory and episodic memory. The experimental group also showed evidence of enhanced conceptual integration in sentence processing. These effects did not vary as a function of personality characteristics (e.g., openness) hypothesized to be compatible with literacy engagement. These findings support the idea that the exercise of cognitive capacities in the context of everyday life may offset age-related impairment in areas of cognition engaged by the activity, regardless of dispositional fit. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T16:54:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ca5bfd0b82f349fcaa65a957759637bb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T16:54:44Z |
| publishDate | 2022-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-ca5bfd0b82f349fcaa65a957759637bb2022-12-22T01:40:47ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782022-07-011310.3389/fpsyg.2022.923795923795The Effects of Sustained Literacy Engagement on Cognition and Sentence Processing Among Older AdultsElizabeth A. L. Stine-Morrow0Elizabeth A. L. Stine-Morrow1Giavanna S. McCall2Giavanna S. McCall3Ilber Manavbasi4Shukhan Ng5Daniel A. Llano6Aron K. Barbey7Aron K. Barbey8Beckman Institute, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, United StatesDepartment of Educational Psychology, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL, United StatesBeckman Institute, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, United StatesDepartment of Educational Psychology, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL, United StatesBeckman Institute, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, United StatesBeckman Institute, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, United StatesBeckman Institute, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, United StatesBeckman Institute, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, United StatesDepartment of Psychology, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL, United StatesConsiderable evidence suggests that language processing depends on memory processes, which are vulnerable to declines with aging. Yet little is known about the effects of language processing in the form of sustained literacy engagement on memory and other aspects of cognition. In the current study, adults (60–79 years of age) were randomly assigned to an 8-week program of leisure reading (n = 38) or to an active puzzle control (n = 38). Relative to the control, the experimental group showed differential improvement in verbal working memory and episodic memory. The experimental group also showed evidence of enhanced conceptual integration in sentence processing. These effects did not vary as a function of personality characteristics (e.g., openness) hypothesized to be compatible with literacy engagement. These findings support the idea that the exercise of cognitive capacities in the context of everyday life may offset age-related impairment in areas of cognition engaged by the activity, regardless of dispositional fit.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.923795/fullcognitive agingliteracyengagementreadingplasticity |
| spellingShingle | Elizabeth A. L. Stine-Morrow Elizabeth A. L. Stine-Morrow Giavanna S. McCall Giavanna S. McCall Ilber Manavbasi Shukhan Ng Daniel A. Llano Aron K. Barbey Aron K. Barbey The Effects of Sustained Literacy Engagement on Cognition and Sentence Processing Among Older Adults Frontiers in Psychology cognitive aging literacy engagement reading plasticity |
| title | The Effects of Sustained Literacy Engagement on Cognition and Sentence Processing Among Older Adults |
| title_full | The Effects of Sustained Literacy Engagement on Cognition and Sentence Processing Among Older Adults |
| title_fullStr | The Effects of Sustained Literacy Engagement on Cognition and Sentence Processing Among Older Adults |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Effects of Sustained Literacy Engagement on Cognition and Sentence Processing Among Older Adults |
| title_short | The Effects of Sustained Literacy Engagement on Cognition and Sentence Processing Among Older Adults |
| title_sort | effects of sustained literacy engagement on cognition and sentence processing among older adults |
| topic | cognitive aging literacy engagement reading plasticity |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.923795/full |
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