Investigating the relationships between Psychological Factors (Personality Traits, Depression and Emotional Support) with Episodic and Semantic Memory in Old Age; the Mediating Role of Executive Functions

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship of psychological factors (personality traits, depression, and emotional support) with episodic and semantic memory (word fluency), with a mediating role of executive functions in adults aged 50 years and older. This research is fundamental in terms of its objectives. The research method is correlational and structural equations. The study population is all adults aged 50 years and older living in Tehran. From this population, a sample of 435 people (299 women, 134 men and 2 people of unknown gender) was conveniently selected from September 2014 to March 2016. The NEO-FFI Personality Questionnaire (short form), Depression subscale of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) short version, episodic memory, word fluency, Stroop color word test, Corsi blocks, and reverse digit span test were used to measure the variables. Pearson correlation, bootstrap test, and structural equation modeling (SEM) methods were used to analyze the data. Data were analyzed using SPSS-16 and Mplus-8 software. Pearson correlation test results showed the relationship of personality traits of neuroticism and openness, emotional support, working memory and inhibition loss with episodic memory and word fluency. SEM results also showed that the modified model fit the sample data well. In this model, neuroticism and openness, emotional support, and inhibition loss predicted episodic memory and word fluency with mediation of working memory: This model may facilitate the explanation of episodic memory and word fluency function in the elderly.

Keywords

• episodic memory
• word fluency
• personality traits
• executive functions
• structural equation modeling