title: External locus of control contributes to racial disparities in memory and reasoning training gains in ACTIVE.
abstract: Racial disparities in cognitive outcomes may be partly explained by differences in locus of control. African Americans report more external locus of control than non-Hispanic Whites, and external locus of control is associated with poorer health and cognition. The aims of this study were to compare cognitive training gains between African American and non-Hispanic White participants in the Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly (ACTIVE) study and determine whether racial differences in training gains are mediated by locus of control. The sample comprised 2,062 (26% African American) adults aged 65 and older who participated in memory, reasoning, or speed training. Latent growth curve models evaluated predictors of 10-year cognitive trajectories separately by training group. Multiple group modeling examined associations between training gains and locus of control across racial groups. Compared to non-Hispanic Whites, African Americans evidenced less improvement in memory and reasoning performance after training. These effects were partially mediated by locus of control, controlling for age, sex, education, health, depression, testing site, and initial cognitive ability. African Americans reported more external locus of control, which was associated with smaller training gains. External locus of control also had a stronger negative association with reasoning training gain for African Americans than for Whites. No racial difference in training gain was identified for speed training. Future intervention research with African Americans should test whether explicitly targeting external locus of control leads to greater cognitive improvement following cognitive training.
authors.affiliation: Cognitive Neuroscience Division, Department of Neurology and Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University.
authors.forename: Laura B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Zahodne
authors.affiliation: Alzheimer's Disease Center, Department of Neurology, University of California, Davis.
authors.forename: Oanh L
authors.initials: OL
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.affiliation: School of Social Work, Health and Human Sciences, Colorado State University.
authors.forename: Eunhee
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego.
authors.forename: Michael L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington.
authors.forename: Sherry L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Willis
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marsiske
authors.affiliation: Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
authors.forename: Alden L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Gross
authors.forename: George W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Rebok
authors.forename: Jeanine M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Parisi
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D013850:Thinking / Q000502:physiology*; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology*