Dolores Pushkar

Motivation, Interest, and Positive Affect in Traditional and Nontraditional Undergraduate Students

This study compares affective and motivational components of academic life for traditional and nontraditional university undergraduates. Traditional students are defined as those aged 21 and younger, who are most likely to have followed an unbroken linear path through the education system, whereas nontraditional students are defined as those aged 28 and older, for whom the undergraduate experience is not necessarily age normative. A total of 300 undergraduates ranging in age from 18 to 60 years were assessed on measures of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation to learn, interest, and positive affect. Nontraditional students reported higher levels of intrinsic motivation for learning than did traditional students. Intrinsic motivation correlated with positive affect more strongly for nontraditional than for traditional students. For all students, interest and age emerged as significant predictors of intrinsic motivation to learn, and both interest and intrinsic motivation significantly predicted positive affect.

Individual Differences in Trajectory of Intellectual Development Over 45 Years of Adulthood

The hypothesis that individual differences in adult intellectual development reflect variation in life context and personality was examined in 132 World War II (WWII) veterans. Intelligence data from the Canadian Army M Test were available for 3 occasions, WWII, 1984-1986 (Int85), and 1989-1991 (Int90). Performance declined over the 45 years on 5 subtests but improved on the 6th, Vocabulary. Correlations between WWII and Int90 scores showed considerable stability of individual differences in intelligence over 45 years. Younger age predicted less decline over 45 years on all subtests; a more engaged lifestyle predicted less decline on most subtests, and better health and greater introversion predicted less decline on some subtests. Predictors of change since Int85 were similar to those for the whole period. Implications for theories of adult intellectual development are discussed.

Effect of off-target verbosity on communication efficiency in a referential communication task.

The referential communication task was used to see if high off-target verbosity (OTV), defined as excessive speech that is lacking in focus, negatively affects communication of nonautobiographical information. The task required 1 individual (the director) to communicate descriptions of abstract figures to another (the matcher). Out of 455 adults aged 63 to 93 who were screened for OTV, 27 directors were drawn from each of the top and bottom 15% of the range of OTV scores and 26 directors and all 80 matchers from the middle 50%. High OTV directors were less efficient communicators about the figures and showed poorer inhibitory control but did not intrude personal information in their speech. The implications of the findings for the inhibitory deficit and pragmatic change explanations of OTV are discussed.

Everyday activity parameters and competence in older adults.

Parameters of everyday activities in relation to cognitive, social, and emotional competence were examined in 2 studies. The parameters included frequency, difficulty, importance, intentions for future activities, changes in past activities, and ability of performance. The challenge hypothesis, in which performance of optional activities experienced as moderately difficult is associated with greatest well-being, was also tested. Two samples of older adults completed a life history interview and measures of psychological functioning. Parameters of activities necessary for maintaining an independent engaged lifestyle were measured by the Everyday Activities Questionnaire. In both studies, competence variables helped explain activity parameters independently of age and demographic variables. There was no support for the challenge hypothesis in either study.

Age-related differences in worry and related processes.

This study investigated the hypothesis that older adults would show age-related reductions in the tendency to worry in both their retrospective accounts and through cross-sectional age comparisons with a sample of younger adults. We also sought to determine whether age differences would be evident in psychological processes associated with a tendency to worry in general adult samples (intolerance of uncertainty and beliefs in the functional value of worry). Support was found for the hypothesized age-related reduction in worry in both retrospective reports among the older adults and cross-sectional age comparisons. Older adults were also found to report less intolerance of uncertainty and less belief in the functional value of worrying compared to younger adults. These findings suggest that worry-proneness is reduced in late adulthood and that a greater ability to tolerate uncertainty in life and to see less value in worrying may partially account for this. Developmental and contextual changes that may account for these findings are considered.

Autobiographical memory specificity predicts social problem-solving ability in old and young adults

Based on recent research with young, depressed adults, age-related cognitive declines and decreased autobiographical specificity were hypothesized to predict poorer social problem-solving ability in older than in younger healthy adults. Priming autobiographical memory (ABM) was hypothesized to improve social problem-solving performance for older adults. Subsequent to cognitive tests, old and young participants’ specific ABMs were tested using a cued recall task, followed by a social problem-solving task. The order of the tasks was counterbalanced to test for a priming effect. Autobiographical specificity was related to cognitive ability and predicted social problem-solving ability for both age groups. However, priming of ABM did not improve social problem-solving ability for older or younger adults. This study provides support for the hypothesis that autobiographical memory serves a directive function across the life-span.

Testing Continuity and Activity Variables as Predictors of Positive and Negative Affect in Retirement

This study tested predictions based on continuity and activity theories, examining effects of continuity and change in activity parameters on positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA). Retired men and women (N = 368) completed measures of everyday activities and affect, repeating the measures after 2 years. Continuity of activity parameters and affect was dominant, although number of activities decreased and ability in activities and NA increased. Changes in activity predicted changes in affect across time. Increased activity frequency, ability, ease, and future intentions predicted higher PA, and increased ability and ease in activity predicted lower NA. Maintaining same levels in activity parameters usually resulted in maintained PA. The results were interpreted as providing some support for both theories.

MOTIVATION, PERSONALITY AND WELL-BEING IN OLDER VOLUNTEERS*

This study examined the effects of personality traits and motivation to volunteer on well-being as 107 older participants went through an intervention to increase volunteering. Three groups of volunteers, current, new, and former volunteers, participated. Participants were assessed four times on standardized measures of personality, health, motivation, and well-being: before and after a wait period, after volunteering, and at one year follow-up. There were no differences between pre, post and follow-up well-being. Regression analysis indicated that health, personality traits and motivation predicted well-being at pre-intervention. In contrast, after the intervention, regression analysis indicated that the interaction of higher neuroticism and greater motivation scores predicted lower well-being compared to other volunteers. One year follow-up results indicated that personality traits and health predicted well-being and that higher initial motivation predicted drop-outs while those continuing to volunteer increased their motivation scores.

Models of intelligence in late life: comment on Hultsch et al. (1999).

The authors comment on D. F. Hultsch, C. Hertzog, B. J. Small, and R. A. Dixons (1999) report of the latest results of the Victoria Longitudinal Study, which are presented as a test of the engagement hypothesis, and on their reanalysis of the data from the Veterans Study (Pushkar Gold et al., 1995), which proposes an alternative model of intellectual function. Differences between the methodologies, variables, and concepts of engaged lifestyle in the 2 studies lead to different tests of the engagement hypothesis and different conclusions. Failure to report specified paths and unjustified assumptions lessen the credibility of the Hultsch et al. model for the Veterans Study data. The authors conclude that their original model, which indicates a small but significant effect of engaged adult lifestyle on the maintenance of intellectual verbal abilities in later life, provides a better explanation of the Veterans Study data.

Longitudinal Associations of Need for Cognition, Cognitive Activity, and Depressive Symptomatology With Cognitive Function in Recent Retirees

OBJECTIVES This study investigated how interindividual differences in cognitive function are related to interindividual differences in the motivational trait of need for cognition, cognitive activity levels, and depressive symptomatology in a sample of young-old adults. METHOD The ample comprised 333 recent retirees from the Concordia Longitudinal Retirement Project (mean age = 59.06 years at entry into study), assessed at 4 annual time points. Cognitive function was measured at 2 time points with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. We used structural equation modeling to examine a longitudinal mediation model controlling for age, education, years since retirement, and prior occupation. RESULTS Need for cognition was positively associated with change in cognitive status 2 years later. Variety of cognitive activities was positively associated with level of cognitive status 1 year later. Depressive symptomatology was negatively associated with level of cognitive status 1 year later. DISCUSSION Our findings indicate that motivational disposition plays a significant role in enhancing cognitive status in retirees, as do variety of cognitive activities. Additionally, subclinical depressive symptomatology can negatively influence cognitive status in young-old retirees. These results have implications for the design of interventions aimed at maintaining the cognitive health of retirees.