The current study investigated the nature of subjective cognitive complaints of older adults in relation to a broad array of individual cognitive functions known to decline with age. A 60-item questionnaire was developed to examine: 1) whether older adults experience problems with these cognitive functions (problems with cognition); 2) the extent to which these problems have changed over time (changes in cognition); and 3) whether these cognitive decrements interfere with their daily functioning (difficulties with cognition). The cognitive functions examined were attention, processing speed, working memory, executive function, and memory. One hundred eight-two community-dwelling adults (aged 65–92 years) completed the questionnaire. While participants reported problems with, and changes in, each cognitive function, working memory was recorded as most problematic and demonstrated the most change. Yet, although older adults experience problems with cognition and report changes in cognitive functioning over time, these did not necessarily produce difficulties in daily life. This points to the existence of support mechanisms that may assist older adults in cognitively demanding situations.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Bennett-LevyJ.PowellG. E. (1980). The subjective memory questionnaire (SMQ). An investigation into the self-reporting of “real-life” memory skills. British Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 19, 177–188.
2.
BroadbentD. E.CooperP. F.FitzgeraldP.ParkesK. R. (1982). The cognitive failures questionnaire (CFQ) and its correlates. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 21, 1–16.
3.
CherryK. E.WestR. L.ReeseC. M.MariaM. P. SantaYassudaM. (2000). The Knowledge of Memory Aging Questionnaire. Educational Gerontology, 26(3), 195–219.
4.
CraikF. I. M.SalthouseT. A. (Eds.). (2000). The handbook of aging and cognition. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
5.
CrawfordJ. R.SmithG.MaylorE. A.Della SalaS.LogieR. H. (2003). The Prospective and Retrospective Memory Questionnaire (PRMQ): Normative data and latent structure in a large non-clinical sample. Memory, 11(3), 261–275.
6.
CutlerS. J.GramsA. E. (1998). Correlates of self-reported everyday memory problems. Journal of Gerontology, 43, S82–S90.
7.
DixonR. A.HultschD. F. (1983). Structure and development of metamemory in adulthood. Journal of Gerontology, 38, 682–688.
8.
GilewskiM. J.ZelinskiE. M.SchaieK. W. (1990). The Memory Functioning Questionnaire for assessment of memory complaints in adulthood and old age. Psychology and Aging, 5(4), 482–490.
9.
HerrmannD. J.NeisserU. (1978). An inventory of everyday memory experiences. In GrunebergM. M.MorrisP. E.SykesR. N. (Eds.), Practical aspects of memory (pp. 35–51). London: Academic Press.
10.
HertzogC.HultschD. F. (2000). Metacognition in adulthood and old age. In CraikF. I. M.SalthouseT. A. (Eds.), The handbook of aging and cognition (2nd ed.), (pp. 417–466). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
11.
HertzogC.ParkD. C.MorrellR. W.MartinM. (2000). Ask and ye shall receive: Behavioural specificity in the accuracy of subjective memory complaints. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 14 (3), 257–275.
12.
JonkerC.SmitsC. H. M.DeegD. J. H. (1997). Affect-related metamemory and memory performance in a population-based sample of older adults. Educational Gerontology, 23(2), 115–128.
13.
JormA. F.ChristensenH.HendersonA. S.KortenA. E.MackinnonA. J.ScottR. (1994). Complaints of cognitive decline in the elderly: A comparison of reports by subjects and informants in a community survey. Psychological Medicine, 24(2), 365–374.
14.
JormA.ChristensenH.KortenA.HendersonA.JacombP. A.MackinnonA. (1997). Do cognitive complaints either predict future cognitive decline or reflect past cognitive decline? A longitudinal study of an elderly community sample. Psychological Medicine, 27(1), 91–98.
15.
KeppelG. (1973). Design and analysis: A researcher's handbook. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall Inc.
16.
LeirerV. O.MorrowD. G.SheikhJ. I.ParianteG. M. (1990). Memory skills elders want to improve. Experimental Aging Research, 16(3), 155–158.
17.
LezakM. D. (1995). Neuropsychological assessment (3rd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press.
18.
MartinM.ZimprichD. (2003). Are Changes in Cognitive Functioning in Older Adults Related to Changes in Subjective Complaints?Experimental Aging Research, 29(3), 335–352.
19.
MartinM.JonesG. V. (1984). Cognitive failures in everyday life. In HarrisJ. E.MorrisP. E. (Eds.), Everyday Memory, Actions and Absentmindedness (pp. 173–190). London: Academic Press.
20.
NewsonR.S.KempsE. B.LuszczM. A. (2003). Cognitive mechanisms underlying decrements in mental synthesis in older adults. Aging, Neuropsychology and Cognition, 10, 28–42.
21.
PondsR. W. H. M.van BoxtelM. P. J.JollesJ. (2000). Age-related changes in subjective cognitive functioning. Educational Gerontology, 26, 67–81.
22.
RabbittP.AbsonV. (1991). Do older people know how good they are?British Journal of Psychology, 82(2), 137–151.
23.
ReeseC. M.CherryK. E. (2004). Practical memory concerns in adulthood. The International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 59(3), 235–253.
24.
SalthouseT.A. (1991). Theoretical perspectives on cognitive ageing. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
25.
ScoginF.RohlingM. (1989). Cognitive processes, self-reports of memory functioning, and mental health status in older adults. Journal of Aging and Health, 1(4), 507–520.
26.
SchmidtI. W.BergI. J.DeelmanB. G. (2001). Relations between subjective evaluations of memory and objective memory performance. Perceptual & Motor Skills, 93(3), 761–776.
27.
SmithA. D. (1996). Memory. In BirrenJ. E.SchaieK. W. (Eds.), Handbook of the psychology of ageing (4 ed., pp. 236–250). San Diego: Academic Press.
28.
St. JohnP.MontgomeryP. (2002). Are cognitively intact seniors with subjective memory loss more likely to develop dementia?International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 17(9), 814–820.
29.
TewesU. (1991). Hamburg-Wechseler-Intelligenztest fr Erwachsene, Revision 1991 (2. Aufl.) [Hamburg Wechsler Intelligence Test for Adults (2nd ed.)]. Bern: Huber.
30.
Woodruff-PakD. S. (1993). Neural plasticity as a substrate for cognitive adaptation in adulthood and aging. In CerellaJ.RybashJ.HoyerW.CommonsM. L. (Eds.), Adult information processing: Limits on loss (pp. 13–36). London: Academic Press.
