Association of psychological, cognitive, and functional variables with self-reported executive functioning in a sample of nondemented community-dwelling older adults.
Subjective executive functioning (EF) measures provide valuable information about real-world difficulties, although it is unclear what variables actually associate with subjective EF scores. We investigated subjective EF in 245 nondemented, community-dwelling older adults (aged 70 and above) from the Einstein Aging Study. Partial correlational analyses controlling for age were performed between the nine Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Adult version (BRIEF-A) clinical scales and objective EF tests, self-reported mood and personality, and informant-reported activities of daily living. The significance level was set at p < .006 for all analyses (two-tailed). Most notably, higher worry/oversensitivity, physiological anxiety, and fear of aging were significantly associated with increased EF difficulties on all nine BRIEF-A scales. Additionally, increased EF difficulties on five or more BRIEF-A scales were significantly associated with lower conscientiousness, higher neuroticism, and higher depressive symptom scores. The only objective neuropsychological test that significantly correlated with increased EF difficulties (on four BRIEF-A scales) was a measure of practical judgment. Overall, results indicate that interpretation of subjective EF scores must account for self-report of mood and personality. Moreover, the BRIEF-A only minimally taps objective EF as measured by performance-based measures. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of these findings.
a Department of Psychology , Queens College of the City University of New York , Queens , NY , USA.|b Department of Psychology , Brooklyn College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York , New York , NY , USA.
Erica P
EP
Meltzer
c Department of Psychology, Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology , Yeshiva University , Bronx , NY , USA.|d Department of Neurology , Albert Einstein College of Medicine , Bronx , NY , USA.
Ashu
A
Kapoor
e Department of Business Management , Brooklyn College of the City University of New York , Brooklyn , NY , USA.
Joshua
J
Fogel
b Department of Psychology , Brooklyn College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York , New York , NY , USA.
Milushka M
MM
Elbulok-Charcape
f Department of Psychiatry , Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College , Lebanon , NH , USA.
Robert M
RM
Roth
d Department of Neurology , Albert Einstein College of Medicine , Bronx , NY , USA.
Mindy J
MJ
Katz
d Department of Neurology , Albert Einstein College of Medicine , Bronx , NY , USA.
Richard B
RB
Lipton
a Department of Psychology , Queens College of the City University of New York , Queens , NY , USA.|b Department of Psychology , Brooklyn College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York , New York , NY , USA.|d Department of Neurology , Albert Einstein College of Medicine , Bronx , NY , USA.|f Department of Psychiatry , Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College , Lebanon , NH , USA.
Laura A
LA
Rabin
D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology; D000339:Affect; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003071:Cognition; D056344:Executive Function; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D057187:Independent Living / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010551:Personality; D010555:Personality Inventory; D057566:Self Report
Anxiety; depression; executive function; older adults; personality; self-report