Research Seminar: New perspectives on the influence of lifestyle activities on cognition in older adulthood

Event Description:

Psychology Research Seminar: Allison Bielak (Colorado State University)
There is evidence that older adults who are more socially, physically, and cognitively active show less cognitive decline and risk for dementia with age, but there’s more complexity to this relation than first appears. This talk will present research that looks at two critical issues about the activity-cognition relation from a different perspective. First, what is the ideal way to measure activity engagement? Recent work challenging the status quo includes considering the characteristics of activity that might impact cognition, the variety of our activities versus the frequency of participation, and the impact of the estimated timeframe on results. Second, the activity-cognition relation in older age is usually investigated over the long-term (i.e., years), but the activities we participate in day to day might have a significant impact on our daily fluctuations in cognitive ability. Research evaluating the daily relationships, including a study collecting data using ecological momentary assessment will be described. The audience will be encouraged to consider what new perspectives might fit for their own research.
Dr Bielak’s profile: https://www.chhs.colostate.edu/bio-page/allison-bielak-2356