Subjective Memory in Older African Americans

• Published in: Experimental aging research Vol. 37; no. 2; pp. 220 - 240
• Main Authors: Sims, Regina C., Whitfield, Keith E., Ayotte, Brian J., Gamaldo, Alyssa A., Edwards, Christopher L., Allaire, Jason C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA Taylor & Francis Group 01.03.2011; Taylor & Francis; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Adult. Elderly; African Americans; African Americans - psychology; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging; Aging - psychology; Baltimore; Biological and medical sciences; Cognition; Depression; Developmental psychology; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Intelligence Tests; Male; Memory; Mental health; Middle Aged; Older people; Psychological aspects; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Regression Analysis; Self-Assessment; Stress; Surveys and Questionnaires; Baltimore; Human; Memory; Cognition; Psychological well-being; Elderly; Ethnic group; Subjective evaluation; African American
• ISSN: 0361-073X; 1096-4657
• DOI: 10.1080/0361073X.2011.555640

The current analysis examined (a) if measures of psychological well-being predict subjective memory, and (b) if subjective memory is consistent with actual memory. Five hundred seventy-nine older African Americans from the Baltimore Study of Black Aging completed measures assessing subjective memory, depressive symptomatology, perceived stress, locus of control, and verbal and working memory. Higher levels of perceived stress and greater externalized locus of control predicted poorer subjective memory, but subjective memory did not predict objective verbal or working memory. Results suggest that subjective memory is influenced by aspects of psychological well-being but is unrelated to objective memory in older African Americans.