Data for “Educational mobility and older adults’ working memory updating ability: association and role of resilience.”

Published: 31 October 2022| Version 1 | DOI: 10.17632/2b9n96k8vh.1
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Description

Previous research has found extensive evidence that a low socioeconomic status (SES), including a low parental educational level, during childhood is associated with relatively poor cognitive functioning, specifically executive functions. However, there is a lack of research addressing the questions whether extent of upward educational mobility is associated with working memory updating (WMU) ability, one of the most important components of executive functions, and whether resilience plays a role in this association. The data concern the results of two studies addressing these questions. In Study 1, 180 Chinese older adults with different levels of educational mobility (downward, zero, or upward) performed a task assessing WMU ability. Study 2 examined 130 Chinese older adults who all had experienced upward educational mobility, as defined by a higher education level for the individual than his/her parents. These individuals again performed a WMU task and completed a resilience questionnaire. Study 1 revealed a positive association between extent of educational mobility and performance on the WMU task. Study 2 revealed highly significant associations between WMU task performance, resilience, and degree of upward educational mobility. These results were discussed in terms of possible causal directions of the association between the variables and possible implications for interventions that aim to enhance upward socioeconomic mobility and cognitive functioning at older ages. The data files concern two SPSS data files, one for Study 1 and one for Study 2, containing pre-processed data. The data consist of each participant’s score on the outcome measure for each of the demographic and socioeconomic variables, the resilience questionnaire (Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale), and working memory updating tasks (two versions of a running memory task with different stimulus-presentation times). These scores were used in correlational and regression analyses, and exploratory mediation and modulation analyses, to assess the relation between the educational (mobility) level, resilience, and WMU ability variables, as described in the target article. The meaning of each column in the data file is described under the tap Variable View --> Label. The raw data of the running memory tasks (in eprime format) on which the corresponding pre-processed data are base are available from the corresponding author upon request.

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Institutions

Northwest Normal University, Radboud Universiteit Afdeling Psychologie

Categories

Educational Change, Working Memory, Older Adult, Resilience

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