According to cognitive reserve theory, challenging and/or stimulating cognitive activities can build a theoretical reserve, which may lead to a delay in the clinical expression of dementia and/or Alzheimer's Disease. These cognitively stimulating activities are thought to build cognitive strategies and neural pathways that are more efficient, enabling the individual to live symptom-free for a longer period of time. One mechanism through which cognitive reserve can be built is by participating in an occupation high in cognitive complexity. When individuals hold an occupation that is high in complexity, they may build their cognitive reserve in such a manner as to reduce their risk for dementia in late life. Using extant data from an existing longitudinal, population-based study, we examined the effect of various subdomains of cognitive complexity of the longest-held job on dementia risk. In cox regression models, individuals holding agricultural occupations and occupations high in complexity of interaction with machinery, equipment, tools and inanimate objects ("Things") had an increased risk for both AD and dementia. Socioeconomic status was found to partially mediate the relationship between high Things complexity and dementia/AD risk, as well as the relationship between agricultural occupations and dementia/AD risk. While there has been some debate regarding whether results reflect a true effect of occupational complexity or simply an effect of education, results from this study indicate that both occupational complexity and education contribute unique effects to dementia/AD risk. Gender, job duration, and APOE genotype were not found to moderate any of the above associations. An understanding of how occupational complexity impacts cognitive reserve and risk for dementia/AD will enable individuals as well as clinicians to implement activities that enhance cognitive reserve and lead to a greater number of years lived symptom-free from dementia/AD.

Executive Functioning (EF) such as planning, organization, attention, and self-control, has a high impact on quality of life, but is vulnerable to aging.  One factor that may help to maintain and strengthen EF is Occupational Complexity (OC), the degree of complexity in one’s primary occupation in life.  Higher OC has been associated with higher EF performance in old age.  However, few of these findings were based on the latest occupational taxonomy (Occupational Network Information; O*NET) that may best reflect todays jobs.  The current study adds to this scarce body of knowledge by examining EF, as conceptualized by Miyake, et al. (2000), and OC, using O*NET.  Data from the Umeå Healthy Aging longitudinal study database was analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling to test the relationship between EF, OC, and their component constructs.  Results from 227 participants showed that individuals with higher OC had higher EF in late life, but this association was not statistically significant (nearly all p values &lt;.05), suggesting that there was no such association in the current sample. / Executive Functioning (EF) som planering, organisation, uppmärksamhet och självkontroll har stor inverkan på livskvaliteten, men är sårbara för åldrande. En faktor som kan bidra till att upprätthålla och stärka EF är Occupational Complexity (OC), graden av komplexitet i ens främsta yrke i livet. Högre OC har förknippats med högre EF-prestanda i ålderdom. Emellertid var få av dessa resultat baserade på den senaste yrkes taxonomin (Occupational Network Information; O*NET) som bäst kan återspegla dagens jobb. Den nuvarande studien ökar denna knappa kunskapskomponent genom att undersöka EF, som konceptualiserats av Miyake, et al. (2000) och OC med O*NET. Data från Umeå Healthy Aging longitudinell studiedatabas analyserades med hjälp av strukturell ekvationsmodellering för att testa förhållandet mellan EF, OC och deras komponentkonstruktioner. Resultat från 227 deltagare visade att individer med högre OC hade högre EF under sent liv, men denna förening var inte statistiskt signifikant (nästan alla p-värden &lt;0,05), vilket tyder på att det inte fanns någon sådan associering i det aktuella urvalet. / <p>Due to the Coronavirus crisis, in-person meetings were replaced with video conferences, via a computer program called Zoom.</p>

The trait complex approach (Ackerman&Heggestad, 1997) makes it possible to study the individual holistically by taking account of various individual differences at the same time, such as abilities, personality, motivation, and vocational preferences. Recently, Kanfer, Wolf, Kantrowitz, and Ackerman (2010) provided support for taking a whole-person approach in predicting academic performance. They also showed the incremental role of non-ability predictors over the role of ability predictors. Objectives of the present study were to further explore the non-ability variables of the science/math trait complex. Identifying the personality correlates of the science/math trait complex was the first objective. Investigation results yielded four personality factors as correlates of the complex, which play important roles for engineers and scientists at different stages of the vocational track: toughmindedness was the personality marker of the science/math trait complex and was associated with intending to pursue a STEM career; achievement and control were associated with academic success in STEM majors; and cognitively-oriented behavior was associated with more cognitively challenging pursuits, such as attending STEM competitions and planning to go on to graduate school. The second purpose was to revisit the vocational interests associated with the science/math trait complex and the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) groups. A new measure was introduced, referred to as STEM Interest Complexity, which measures interests towards engaging in increasingly complex tasks in the Numerical, Symbolic, Spatial, and STEM-related Ideas domains. It was developed to assess the level of vocational interests, in addition to the traditionally assessed direction of vocational interests (Holland, 1985). Validation of the new STEM Interest Complexity measure showed adequate construct and concurrent criterion-related validities. Construct validity was established by demonstrating associations between the new measure and measures of the direction of interests, cognitive abilities, intelligence as personality, and learning goal orientations. Support for the new measure's criterion-related validity was found by demonstrating that the measure discriminates between majors, and predicts vocational criteria (i.e., college achievement in STEM, attachment to STEM fields, major satisfaction, and one's intentions to chose a complex STEM career). With dominance analyses, it was shown that STEM Interest Complexity was the most important vocational assessment in the prediction of criteria. Results support the assertion that vocational interest inventories can be improved by incorporating the level of complexity dimension. Finally, a science/math trait complex composite score, including the personality factors and STEM Interest Complexity, in addition to the previously determined ability, interest, and self-concept associates, showed moderate associations with STEM-related vocational criteria. The non-ability individual differences, which were the focus of the present study, added to the conceptualization and predictive utility of the science/math trait complex.