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The hypothesis that the right cerebral hemisphere declines more quickly than the left cerebral hemisphere in the normal aging process was tested in two studies using a facial recognition and a response time task. In Study 1, subjects (N=60) were asked to identify facial affect fram 50 standardized photographs of 5 affective categories: Happy, Neutral, Sad, Angry, and Fearful, and were asked to rate the intensity of each photograph. The results of the analysis indicate that the elderly group was significantly less accurate at identifying negative and neutral affective expressions than the younger group, with no significant differences seen between groups in the identification of positive affect. The results also indicate that the elderly rated the affective expressions as being significantly more intense than the younger group. Study 2 (N=60) investigated response times for the recognition of the affective stimuli as 4 function of visual field of presentation and valence of the stimuli, using the same subject population. The results of this analysis reveal that the elderly show an increase in cerebral lateralization in comparison to the younger group. The elderly exhibited increased response times to negative affect presented to the left hemisphere. The results of this study also indicate that both groups had faster response times to positive affect, and that both groups had a response bias in favor of positive affect when neutral facial affective slides were presented to the left hemisphere. The results are interpreted as partially supporting the right hemi-aging theory. The elderly showed a diminished ability to identify negative affect across both studies, suggestive of lowered right hemisphere functioning. However, the increased rather than decreased cerebral asymmetry in the response time task, and slower response times to negative affect presented to the left hemisphere are suggestive of bilateral changes in affective processing for the elderly. Overall, these findings suggest that the elderly have more difficulty processing negative affect, while their ability to process positive affect remains intact. This finding has implications for research using facial affective paradigms designed for use with younger subjects, and suggests the need for more studies of emotional aging processes in normal populations. / Ph. D.

Despite an increase in research regarding the healthcare outcomes and experiences of diverse groups, some significant gaps in the literature remain. Among the most understudied and underserved groups are those with intersectional identities. Although researchers have made significant efforts to increase research regarding health care experiences of people of color, older adults, and rural populations, less is known about the health care experiences of older rural African Americans. Due to the lack of research focusing on the unique experiences of this intersectional group, qualitative research was an important first step towards broadening this research base. This study utilized a cultural safety perspective of older rural African Americans to provide insight into several factors that influence their healthcare experiences. Prior to this study, no qualitative research utilizing the cultural safety framework has been conducted to examine the unique challenges that older rural African Americans face within the United States healthcare system or how their experiences may impact later treatment-seeking behavior and treatment adherence. To address this gap in the literature, this study examined the lived experiences of a sample of 47 African American participants, aged 55 and older, living in rural Mississippi. Participants completed semi-structured interviews regarding their health care experiences and attitudes. Thematic analysis was used to identify common themes. Some of the most prevalent themes were related to the importance of good communication, the importance of positive experiences in creating trust, and patients advocating for their own health. Specific implications and future research directions are discussed.

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