Felix S Hussenoeder1, Ines Conrad1, Susanne Roehr1, Heide Glaesmer2, Andreas Hinz2, Cornelia Enzenbach3, Christoph Engel3, Veronika Witte4, Matthias L Schroeter5, Markus Loeffler3, Joachim Thiery6, Arno Villringer4, Steffi G Riedel-Heller1, Francisca S Rodriguez7. 1. Institute of Social Medicine, Occupational Health and Public Health, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. 2. Department of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. 3. Institute for Medical Informatics, Statistics and Epidemiology (IMISE), University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. 4. Max-Planck-Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany. 5. Clinic for Cognitive Neurology, Max-Planck-Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences and University Hospital Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. 6. Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. 7. Center for Cognitive Science, University of Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern, Germany.
Abstract
Objectives: Mental demands at the workplace can be preventive against cognitive decline. However, personality shapes the way information is processed and we therefore assume that Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness and Conscientiousness, would moderate the beneficial effects of workplace stimulation on cognitive outcomes. Methods: We analyzed data from the population-based LIFE-Adult-Study (n = 6529). Cognitive outcomes were assessed via the Trail-Making Test (TMTA, TMTB) and the Verbal Fluency Test. Personality was assessed via the Personality Adjective List (16 AM). Mental demands were classified with the indices Verbal and Executive based on the O*NET database. Results: Multivariate regression analyses showed only two significant moderation effects of personality, i.e. in individuals with low scores on Conscientiousness/Openness, index Verbal was connected to better TMTB performance, while this effect disappeared for individuals with high values on the personality trait. However, the additional explained variance remained marginal. Conclusion: The findings suggest that personality does not modify associations between high mental demands at work and better cognitive functioning in old age; however, there is a tendency that high levels of Openness and Conscientiousness may offset effects of mental demands.
Objectives: Mental demands at the workplace can be preventive against cognitive decline. However, personality shapes the way information is processed and we therefore assume that Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness, Agreeableness and Conscientiousness, would moderate the beneficial effects of workplace stimulation on cognitive outcomes. Methods: We analyzed data from the population-based LIFE-Adult-Study (n = 6529). Cognitive outcomes were assessed via the Trail-Making Test (TMTA, TMTB) and the Verbal Fluency Test. Personality was assessed via the Personality Adjective List (16 AM). Mental demands were classified with the indices Verbal and Executive based on the O*NET database. Results: Multivariate regression analyses showed only two significant moderation effects of personality, i.e. in individuals with low scores on Conscientiousness/Openness, index Verbal was connected to better TMTB performance, while this effect disappeared for individuals with high values on the personality trait. However, the additional explained variance remained marginal. Conclusion: The findings suggest that personality does not modify associations between high mental demands at work and better cognitive functioning in old age; however, there is a tendency that high levels of Openness and Conscientiousness may offset effects of mental demands.
Authors: Andrea E Zülke; Melanie Luppa; Susanne Röhr; Marina Weißenborn; Alexander Bauer; Franziska-Antonia Zora Samos; Flora Kühne; Isabel Zöllinger; Juliane Döhring; Christian Brettschneider; Anke Oey; David Czock; Thomas Frese; Jochen Gensichen; Walter E Haefeli; Wolfgang Hoffmann; Hanna Kaduszkiewicz; Hans-Helmut König; Jochen René Thyrian; Birgitt Wiese; Steffi G Riedel-Heller Journal: BMC Geriatr Date: 2021-12-10 Impact factor: 3.921
Authors: Andrea E Zuelke; Susanne Roehr; Matthias L Schroeter; A Veronica Witte; Andreas Hinz; Christoph Engel; Cornelia Enzenbach; Joachim Thiery; Markus Loeffler; Arno Villringer; Steffi G Riedel-Heller Journal: J Occup Med Toxicol Date: 2020-02-12 Impact factor: 2.646