Lecture 2: Methodological Issues in Cognitive aging research Flashcards
What is age effect?
refers to differences between older and younger adults; older adults take more medications as they age
What is a cohort effect?
differences between birth cohort age: generation x, millennials
What is a cross sectional study?
testing 2 or more groups at the same point in time; an attempt is made to match groups for all variables except variable of interest
What is a longitudinal research?
participants are followed over time
What is a experimental research?
We manipulate variable and measure the effect on another variable
Wha is correlational research?
We do not attempt to influence any variables and simply measure the relationship between two things
How can we interpret a correlational study?
Through epidemiological studies
What are three explanations for a correlation?
Causal link, common cause, coincidence
What are some challenges in gerontological research?
response rates, length of survey/experiment, deal with missing data
Why so people not respond?
Non-response rates are linked to health and
functional ability
* Dealing with low response rates:
* Is the study of interest to older adults?
* Is it presented in a way that is accessible and
appropriate?
* Level of engagement of the interviewer in
initial phone contact
What are three participating considerations?
heterogeneity in older adults relative to younger adults
Incidence of cognitive impairment
Possibility of vulnerable participants (ethical considerations)
Depending on the research design, you interpret studies differently
Cross sectional: cohort vs age related change
Younger generations exhibit more diverse attitudes regarding gender, race and ethnicity due to a combination of exposure o
Longitudinal: time of measurement effects (an effect that occurs because of the cultural and historical impacts of that time)
Word war 2
What are some measurement considerations?
reliability:the degree to which the results can be repeated or replicated under the same conditions; consistency
Validity: are the results accurate; do the results represent what it is suppose to measure
What is the learning and practice effects?
Problems with using the same test multiple times in longitudinal research
Practice effects could lead to apparently improved performance over time or mask declines
What is healthy survivor bias?
Attrition may be selective in longitudinal research
Ie; the healthiest participants may be more likely t return to the study
