How thinking young can help to boost your memory

By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Updated:

It's not good news for those who fear that old age and a failing memory come hand-in-hand.

Scientists say that pensioners who believe the elderly should perform poorly on memory tests are much more likely to score badly.

On the other hand, those who don't buy into negative stereotypes about ageing and memory loss tend to do better.

Pensioners

Young at heart: Pensioners suffer when they think they're being stigmatised for their age

The U.S. study found that pensioners' ability to remember suffers when negative stereotypes are 'activated'.

Professor Tom Hess, of North Carolina State University, said: 'Older adults will perform more poorly on a memory test if they are told older folks do poorly on that particular type of memory test.'

Their memory also suffers if they think they are being stigmatised by the young who look down on them because of their age.

'Such situations may be a part of older adults' everyday experience, such as being concerned about what others think of them at work having a negative effect on their performance - and thus potentially reinforcing the negative stereotypes.'

Those aged 60-70 suffered more than the 71 to 82-year-olds when negative stereotypes were activated.

But the older group did worse when they felt stigmatised, found the study in the journal Experimental Ageing Research.

We'd do well to remember the postive findings. 'If someone is confident ageing will not ravage their memory, they are more likely to perform well on memoryrelated tasks,' he added.


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