Olivier Desrichard

Are Memory Self-Efficacy and Memory Performance Related? A Meta-Analysis.

The association between memory self-efficacy (MSE) and memory performance is highly documented in the literature. However, previous studies have produced inconsistent results, and there is no consensus on the existence of a significant link between these two variables. In order to evaluate whether or not the effect size of the MSE-memory performance relationship in healthy adults is significant and to test several theory-driven moderators, we conducted a meta-analysis of published and unpublished studies. A random-effects model analysis of data from 107 relevant studies (673 effect sizes) indicated a low but significant weighted mean correlation between MSE and memory performance, r = .15, 95% CI [.13, .17]. In addition, the mean effect size was significantly moderated by the way MSE was assessed. Memory performance was more strongly related to concurrent MSE (perceived current ability to perform a given task) than it was to global MSE (perceived usual memory ability in general). Furthermore, we found marginally larger MSE-memory performance correlations when the memory situations used to assess MSE involved familiar stimuli. No effect of the method used to assess global MSE or domain MSE (memory rating vs. performance predictions) was found. The results also show that the resource demands of the memory tasks have a moderator effect, as the MSE-performance correlation is larger with free-recall and cued-recall tasks than it is with recognition tasks. Limitations (generalization issues, moderators not considered) and implications for future research are discussed.

Evaluating short-term and working memory in older adults: French normative data

Short-term and working memory (WM) capacities are subject to change with ageing, both in normal older adults and in patients with degenerative or non-degenerative neurological disease. Few normative data are available for comparisons of short-term and WM capacities in the verbal, spatial and visual domains. To provide researchers and clinicians with a set of standardised tasks that assess short-term and WM using verbal and visuospatial materials, and to present normative data for that set of tasks. The present study compiled normative French data for three short-term memory tasks (verbal, visual and spatial simple span tasks) and two WM tasks (verbal and spatial complex span tasks) obtained from 445 healthy older adults aged between 55 and 85 years. Our data reveal main effects of age, education level and gender on older adults’ short-term and WM performances. Equation-based normalisation can therefore be used to take these factors into account. The results provide a set of cut-off scores for five standardised tasks that can be used to determine the presence of short-term or WM impairment in older adults.

Cross-cultural Generalizability of the Alternative Five-factor Model Using the Zuckerman-Kuhlman-Aluja Personality Questionnaire

Several personality models are known for being replicable across cultures, such as the Five–Factor Model (FFM) or Eysencks Psychoticism–Extraversion–Neuroticism (PEN) model, and are for this reason considered universal. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the cross–cultural replicability of the recently revised Alternative FFM (AFFM). A total of 15 048 participants from 23 cultures completed the Zuckerman–Kuhlman–Aluja Personality Questionnaire (ZKA–PQ) aimed at assessing personality according to this revised AFFM. Internal consistencies, gender differences and correlations with age were similar across cultures for all five factors and facet scales. The AFFM structure was very similar across samples and can be considered as highly replicable with total congruence coefficients ranging from .94 to .99. Measurement invariance across cultures was assessed using multi–group confirmatory factor analyses, and each higher–order personality factor did reach configural and metric invariance. Scalar invariance was never reached, which implies that culture–specific norms should be considered. The underlying structure of the ZKA–PQ replicates well across cultures, suggesting that this questionnaire can be used in a large diversity of cultures and that the AFFM might be as universal as the FFM or the PEN model. This suggests that more research is needed to identify and define an integrative framework underlying these personality models. Copyright

Memory Self-Efficacy and Memory Performance in Older Adults

The present research examined the role persistence plays in mediating the positive impact of memory self-efficacy (MSE, i.e., one’s confidence in one’s own memory abilities) on older adults’ memory performance. In three studies, 81 to 264 older adults completed an MSE scale and carried out an explicit episodic memory task, during which we recorded their study time as an indicator of task persistence. We found that higher MSE was indirectly related to better memory performance through greater persistence during encoding, as measured by longer study time. Indirect effects were of medium size, with point estimates ranging from 0.64 to 0.85. This mediation effect was independent of factors that could be confounded with study time: chronological age, memory span, prior level of memory performance, episodic memory ability, and use of learning strategies (encoding strategies and self-testing). When confronted with difficult memory tasks, older adults who lack confidence in their memory abilities cease their efforts prematurely, which contributes to a decrease in their performance. Encouraging older adults to persist in the face of difficulties during encoding and retrieval may help alleviate the negative impact of low MSE on memory performance and allow researchers and clinicians to more accurately estimate older adults’ true memory abilities.

Stratégies de diagnostic précoce et de prévention du cancer de la prostate

Prostate cancer (CaP) has become the most frequent cancer in France and represents the 4th cause of mortality by cancer. Main risk factors include age, family history, black ethnic origin and carcinogenesis results from interaction between environmental and endogen factors. This work aimed to review main data and strategic trends about evolution of prevention and early diagnosis of CaP. Research topics considered as priorities results from the main objective including definition of most efficient medico-economic strategies according to epidemiology, diagnostic and therapeutic modalities and ethno-sociologic particularities, including in the schema presently used (PSA/biopsies): 1) new markers (genetic, serum and urinary), measurable environmental risk factors and potential prevention actions; 2) functional imaging (new techniques including contrast echography, dynamic MRI, spectro-MRI) in order to avoid unnecessary biopsies (60-70% biopsies are negative); 3) optimization of biopsies technique in identifying tumor zones in order to decrease false negative biopsies (about 15% of CaP < 0,5 cm3 but of high grade are missed in the first set of biopsies) and in improving the representativity of the tumor sample biopsied (discordance of about 40% between biopsy data and complete pathological analysis of prostatectomy specimen); 4) development of predictive models in order to perform individual prediction taking into account several risk factors (clinical and molecular) and genes/environment interactions in order to offer rational help in diagnostic and primary prevention procedures.

Act local but don't think too global: The impact of ecological goal level on behavior.

ABSTRACT Growing awareness of humanity’s impact on the environment raises the question of how best to encourage pro-environmental actions. Numerous campaigns have been created to convince people to adopt environmentally friendly everyday behaviors, with varying success. The difficulty may be due, at least in part, to the huge gap between these small individual actions and the high-level goals, such as “saving the planet,” often used as incentives. We tested this hypothesis via four experiments. Studies 1 and 2 showed that high-level goals were less effective than low-level goals in promoting paper- and energy-saving behaviors. Study 3 showed that high-level goals engender lower perceived outcome expectancy and higher perception of cumulative effort. Study 4 showed that outcome expectancy mediates the direct effect of goal level on intention.

WHEN COGNITIVE DISSONANCE IS ALSO MEMORY-BASED

In this experiment, 118 subjects were asked to recall personal behaviors which were inconsistent with one of their attitudes. Analysis showed that an attitude change in the direction of the recalled behavior occurred only when the behavior was specific (infrequent) and voluntary. Recall of summary behaviors (frequent) or involuntary behaviors did not modify the subjects attitude. The interpretation proposed is based on cognitive dissonance theory.

Is Medical Environment Detrimental to Memory? A Test of A White Coat Effect on Older People’s Memory Performance

ABSTRACT Objectives: Test if older people’s memory assessment may be impacted by a medical environment and if memory self-efficacy (MSE) will moderate this effect. Methods: We evaluated memory performance and MSE in 27 older adults in two different settings: a (control) university research environment, or a (proxy-medical) neuropsychological examination environment. Results: The results showed a MSE × environment interaction effect on story-recall performance, with older people with low MSE performing less well in the proxy-medical situation than in the control situation and with elders with high MSE performing better in the proxy-medical situation than in the control situation. The same marginally significant effect for the word-span task was also found. Conclusions: Testing in a medical environment undermines the memory performance of older people with low MSE and boosts performance of older people with high MSE. Clinical Implications We encourage neuropsychologists to pay attention to psychosocial determinants of older people’s performance when assessing their memory abilities.

Stratégies de diagnostic précoce et de prévention du cancer de la prostateStrategies for early diagnosis and prevention of prostate cancer

Prostate cancer (CaP) has become the most frequent cancer in France and represents the 4th cause of mortality by cancer. Main risk factors include age, family history, black ethnic origin and carcinogenesis results from interaction between environmental and endogen factors. This work aimed to review main data and strategic trends about evolution of prevention and early diagnosis of CaP. Research topics considered as priorities results from the main objective including definition of most efficient medico-economic strategies according to epidemiology, diagnostic and therapeutic modalities and ethno-sociologic particularities, including in the schema presently used (PSA/biopsies): 1) new markers (genetic, serum and urinary), measurable environmental risk factors and potential prevention actions; 2) functional imaging (new techniques including contrast echography, dynamic MRI, spectro-MRI) in order to avoid unnecessary biopsies (60-70% biopsies are negative); 3) optimization of biopsies technique in identifying tumor zones in order to decrease false negative biopsies (about 15% of CaP < 0,5 cm3 but of high grade are missed in the first set of biopsies) and in improving the representativity of the tumor sample biopsied (discordance of about 40% between biopsy data and complete pathological analysis of prostatectomy specimen); 4) development of predictive models in order to perform individual prediction taking into account several risk factors (clinical and molecular) and genes/environment interactions in order to offer rational help in diagnostic and primary prevention procedures.

Not my future? Core values and the neural representation of future events

Individuals with pronounced self-transcendence values have been shown to put greater weight on the long-term consequences of their actions when making decisions. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we investigated the neural mechanisms underlying the evaluation of events occurring several decades in the future as well as the role of core values in these processes. Thirty-six participants viewed a series of events, consisting of potential consequences of climate change, which could occur in the near future (around 2030), and thus would be experienced by the participants themselves, or in the far future (around 2080). We observed increased activation in anterior VMPFC (BA11), a region involved in encoding the personal significance of future events, when participants were envisioning far future events, demonstrating for the first time that the role of the VMPFC in future projection extends to the time scale of decades. Importantly, this activation increase was observed only in participants with pronounced self-transcendence values measured by self-report questionnaire, as shown by a statistically significant interaction of temporal distance and value structure. These findings suggest that future projection mechanisms are modulated by self-transcendence values to allow for a more extensive simulation of far future events. Consistent with this, these participants reported similar concern ratings for near and far future events, whereas participants with pronounced self-enhancement values were more concerned about near future events. Our findings provide a neural substrate for the tendency of individuals with pronounced self-transcendence values to consider the long-term consequences of their actions.