title: Social cognition is not associated with cognitive reserve in older adults.
abstract: Social and general cognitive abilities decline in late life. Those with high cognitive reserve display better general cognitive performance in old age; however, it is unknown whether this is also the case for social cognition. A total of 115 healthy older adults, aged 60-85 years (m = 44, f = 71) were assessed using The Awareness of Social Inference Test (TASIT-R; social cognition), the Lifetime of Experiences Questionnaire (LEQ; cognitive reserve), and the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI-II; general cognitive ability). The LEQ did not predict performance on any TASIT-R subtest: Emotion Evaluation Test (β = -.097, p = .325), Social Inference - Minimal (β = -.004, p = .972), or Social Inference - Enriched (β = -.016, p = .878). Sensitivity analyses using two alternative cognitive reserve measures, years of education and the National Adult Reading Test, supported these effects. Cognitive reserve was strongly related to WASI-II performance. Unlike general cognitive ability, social cognition appears unaffected by cognitive reserve. Findings contribute to the emerging understanding that cognitive reserve differentially affects individual cognitive domains, which has implications for the theoretical understanding of cognitive reserve and its brain correlates. Cognitive measures unbiased by cognitive reserve may serve as best indicators of brain health, free of compensatory mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: a Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Psychology, Social Work and Social Policy , University of South Australia , Adelaide , Australia.
authors.forename: Louise M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Lavrencic
authors.affiliation: a Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Psychology, Social Work and Social Policy , University of South Australia , Adelaide , Australia.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kurylowicz
authors.affiliation: b Regenerative Neuroscience Group, Brain and Mind Research Institute , University of Sydney , Sydney , Australia.
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Valenzuela
authors.affiliation: c Brain and Cognition Laboratory, School of Psychology , Flinders University , Adelaide , Australia.
authors.forename: Owen F
authors.initials: OF
authors.lastname: Churches
authors.affiliation: a Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, School of Psychology, Social Work and Social Policy , University of South Australia , Adelaide , Australia.
authors.forename: Hannah A D
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Keage
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D058245:Cognitive Reserve; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007807:Language Tests; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011932:Reading; D012737:Sex Factors; D012938:Social Perception; D014888:Wechsler Scales
keywords: cognitive reserve; emotion evaluation; older adults; sex differences; theory of mind