Marie Mazerolle1,2, Isabelle Régner3, Sarah J Barber4, Marc Paccalin5,6, Aimé-Chris Miazola1, Pascal Huguet2,7, François Rigalleau1,2. 1. Department of Psychology, University of Poitiers, France. 2. National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), France. 3. Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, LPC, Marseille, France. 4. Department of Psychology, San Francisco State University, California. 5. EA3808 Molecular Targets and Therapeutics of Alzheimer's Disease, University of Poitiers, France. 6. Centre Mémoire de Ressources et de Recherche and Geriatrics Department, Poitiers University Hospital, France. 7. Blaise Pascal Université, Clermont Ferrand, France.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: There is today ample evidence that negative aging stereotypes impair healthy older adults' performance on cognitive tasks. Here, we tested whether these stereotypes also decrease performance during the screening for predementia on short cognitive tests widely used in primary care. METHOD: An experiment was conducted on 80 healthy older adults taking the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) under Threat or Reduced-threat condition. RESULTS: Stereotype threat significantly impaired older adults' performance on both tests, resulting in 40% of older adults meeting the screening criteria for predementia, compared with 10% in Reduced-threat condition (MMSE and MoCA averaged). DISCUSSION: Our research highlights the influence of aging stereotypes on short cognitive tests used to screen for predementia. It is of critical importance that physicians provide a threat-free testing environment. Further research should clarify whether this socially induced bias may also operate in secondary care by generating false positives.
OBJECTIVES: There is today ample evidence that negative aging stereotypes impair healthy older adults' performance on cognitive tasks. Here, we tested whether these stereotypes also decrease performance during the screening for predementia on short cognitive tests widely used in primary care. METHOD: An experiment was conducted on 80 healthy older adults taking the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) under Threat or Reduced-threat condition. RESULTS: Stereotype threat significantly impaired older adults' performance on both tests, resulting in 40% of older adults meeting the screening criteria for predementia, compared with 10% in Reduced-threat condition (MMSE and MoCA averaged). DISCUSSION: Our research highlights the influence of aging stereotypes on short cognitive tests used to screen for predementia. It is of critical importance that physicians provide a threat-free testing environment. Further research should clarify whether this socially induced bias may also operate in secondary care by generating false positives.
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