The moderating effect of neuroticism and openness in the relationship between age and memory: Implications for cognitive reserve

Previous research has frequently shown the association between age, Neuroticism, and Openness with memory. However, few studies have investigated the interaction of these factors so far. The present study examined whether the relationship between age and memory is moderated by the Neuroticism and Openness using cross-sectional data from a sample of 550 Iranian participants. They completed the Persian version of the NEO five-factor inventory as well as the memory tests from the Sepidar cognitive test battery. The results indicated that Openness was significantly positively associated with episodic, semantic, and working memory, and the unique effect of Openness on episodic and semantic memory was found even after controlling for the effect of years of education, sex, socioeconomic status (SES), and age. Moderation analysis indicated that Openness moderated the relationship between age and semantic memory as well as age and working memory. Moreover, the results showed that the pathway between age and semantic memory was moderated by Neuroticism. This study highlights the interaction between age, personality traits, and memory, which has important theoretical and practical implications for the cognitive reserve in healthy adults.

Authors: Hossein Karsazi , Tara Rezapour , Reza Kormi-Nouri , Atieh Mottaghi , Ehsan Abdekhodaie , JavadHatami

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2021.110773