Working Memory and Activity Diversity in Older Adults: Examining Within- and Between-Person Associations
Johanna Drewelies, Denis Gerstorf, Sandra Duezel, Ilja Demuth, Ulman Lindenberger, Rachel Koffer, Soomi Lee

TL;DR
This study explores how daily activity variety affects working memory in older adults, finding that more diverse activities may help long-term memory but can be taxing on daily cognitive performance.
Contribution
The study reveals distinct within- and between-person associations between activity diversity and working memory in older adults.
Findings
Higher overall activity diversity is linked to better working memory at the between-person level.
On days with more varied activities, working memory declines at the within-person level.
Negative affect and loneliness moderate the relationship between daily activity diversity and working memory.
Abstract
Cognitive function and activity diversity have been linked, yet it remains unclear whether this association holds at the daily level. This study examined associations between daily working memory and within- and between-person activity diversity in older adults. Data were collected six times per day for seven days from 127 participants in Berlin (Mage = 76.59, range: 67–88). Participants reported their activity engagement across social, physical, mental, productive, household chores, self-care, and leisure domains; a daily activity diversity score was calculated using Shannon’s entropy. Multi-level models adjusted for age, gender, education, morbidity, perceptual speed, and negative affect and loneliness. Results showed that, at the between-person level, individuals with greater overall activity diversity exhibited better working memory. However, at the within-person level, on days when…
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Taxonomy
TopicsHealth disparities and outcomes · Aging and Gerontology Research · Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research
