Exploring Individuals' Willingness to Engage in Interventions to Improve Cognitive Health and Prolong Late-Life Independence: An Extension of Harrell, Kmetz, and Boot (2019).

Abstract

Interventions designed to preserve cognition have become increasingly popular as our population ages. In exploring intervention effectiveness, however, researchers have often overlooked a potentially important factor: willingness to engage. Recent findings from Harrell, Kmetz, Boot (2019) showed that perceived cognitive deficits and perceived training efficacy were significant predictors of willingness to engage in a brain training intervention designed to preserve cognition. However, they did not explore another potentially important factor: anticipated intervention enjoyment. In the current study, younger, middle-aged, and older adults (N = 169) completed surveys that assessed their willingness to engage in different types of training (aerobic exercise, brain, meditation) to improve cognition and the extent that factors such as health, perceived cognitive deficits, belief in training efficacy, and personality contributed to willingness to engage. Participants reported being least willing to engage in meditation training and meditation training was rated by participants as the least likely to improve cognition. Anticipated training enjoyment was the overriding factor that predicted willingness. These findings provide additional insights into why, and for how long, individuals may be willing to engage in training to prolong independence and have implications for understanding intervention adoption and adherence.