Christina El Zarka
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Research Mentor(s): Toni Antonucci
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Psychology and ISR / LSA
Program: CG
Session: Session 6 (3:40pm – 4:30pm)
Authors: Dr. Kristine Ajrouch
Abstract
As the body and brain age, there are documented consequent cognitive changes. Researchers at the University of California San Francisco’s Weill Institute of Neuroscience Memory and Age Center have shown that the brain typically tends to slow down while also having difficulty maintaining its focus (ref). Further, research suggests that naturally physical degenerative effects on the brain are common with age. In this study, we propose to examine if there is a link between age and an individual’s optimism. Data from the Detroit Area Memory Project’s COVID study will permit an examination of participants’ optimism about the future and help identify if there is a correlation between feeling optimistic about the future along with age. A study by Kelly Dubrin and colleagues (2017) indicates that younger adults are more likely to be optimistic about the future, than older adults. This study will be cross-sectional since all the data were collected at one time. The sample includes Arab Americans, African Americans, and non-Hispanic Whites, Furthermore, identifying moderating sociodemographic factors between age and optimism will be examined including marriage status, male and females, education level, income level, and race and ethnicity. Understanding if there is a correlation between being optimistic about the future throughout old age is important to further learning about life course development.
