Perceptions and Experiences of Iranian Older Adults with High Cognitive Performance on Psychosocial Determinants of Cognitive Health: A Qualitative Descriptive Study.

Abstract

This article explores the perceptions and experiences of older adults with high cognitive function regarding the factors that influence cognitive health. Nineteen purposefully selected Iranian older adults with above-average performance in episodic memory and word fluency cognitive tasks participated in in-depth interviews and reflected on what causes good memory and cognitive function. By conducting a thematic analysis, the researchers identified 25 themes in the participants' articulations. The most frequently cited themes were: motivation, working and job, thought processes, social life and social network, reading and books, and ethics and responsibility. Although the participants' viewpoints reflected many determinants of cognitive maintenance found in the literature, they placed more emphasis on the importance of psychosocial factors in cognitive health. They particularly reflected on the importance of motivation to engage in mental stimulation and emphasized activities that occur naturally in daily life like work, social engagement, and reading for cognitive maintenance. Unlike previous literature on motivational reserve, our participants emphasized goal setting over regulatory processes, while their preference for diverse mental engagement aligns with the engagement-over-training framework.