Age-related differences in food-specific inhibitory control: Electrophysiological and behavioral evidence in healthy aging.

The number of older adults in the United States is estimated to nearly double from 52 million to 95 million by 2060. Approximately 80-85% of older adults are diagnosed with a chronic health condition. Many of these chronic health conditions are influenced by diet and physical activity, suggesting improved diet and eating behaviors could improve health-related outcomes. One factor that might improve dietary habits in older adults is food-related inhibitory control. We tested whether food-related inhibitory control, as measured via behavioral data (response time, accuracy) and scalp-recorded event-related potentials (ERP; N2 and P3 components), differed between younger and older adults over age 55. Fifty-nine older adults (31 females [52.5%], Mage = 64, SDage = 7.5) and 114 younger adults (82 females [71.9%], Mage = 20.8) completed two go/no-go tasks, one inhibiting to high-calorie stimuli and one inhibiting to low-calorie stimuli, while electroencephalogram (EEG) data were recorded. Older adults had slower overall response times than younger adults, but this was not specific to either food task. There was not a significant difference in accuracy between younger and older adults, but both groups' accuracy and response times were significantly better during the high-calorie task than the low-calorie task. For both the N2 and P3 ERP components, younger adults had larger no-go ERP amplitudes than older adults, but this effect was not food-specific, reflecting overall generalized lower inhibitory control processing in older adults. P3 amplitude for the younger adults demonstrated a specific food-related effect (greater P3 amplitude for high-calorie no-go than low-calorie no-go) that was not present for older adults. Findings support previous research demonstrating age-related differences in inhibitory control though those differences may not be specific to inhibiting towards food.

Is the Measure Good Enough? Measurement Invariance and Validity of the Clance Imposter Phenomenon Scale in a University Population.

Imposter Phenomenon (IP) was coined in 1978 by Clance and Imes and has been an important construct in explaining individuals' experiences of believing that achievements are a result of luck or misperceptions of others rather than personal competence. The Clance Imposter Phenomenon Scale (CIPS), developed in 1985, is a prominent operationalization of this construct. Although this scale has been widely used since its inception, its factor structure has been inconsistent across studies and no tests of measurement invariance are documented in the literature. Using a large university sample (n = 830), the current study was designed to: (a) examine the factor structure of the CIPS using cross validation, (b) examine measurement invariance across gender, and (c) examine differences in the CIPS factor by demographics. We found that a single factor structure for the CIPS was the best fitting model. We also found that the measure achieved invariance across gender after removing item 18 (and in the absence of items 1, 2, and 19, removed for poor fit). Finally, we found that being single, a woman, and having experienced lower socioeconomic status (SES) were all associated with higher IP. We discuss these findings in the context of a university setting and suggest avenues for future research.

What Does "Successful Aging" Mean to you? - Systematic Review and Cross-Cultural Comparison of Lay Perspectives of Older Adults in 13 Countries, 2010-2020.

Successful aging is a concept that has gained popularity and relevance internationally among gerontologists in recent decades. Examining lay older adults' perspectives on successful aging can enhance our understanding of what successful aging means. We conducted a systematic review of peer reviewed studies from multiple countries published in 2010-2020 that contained qualitative responses of lay older adults to open-ended questions such as "What does successful aging mean to you?" We identified 23 studies conducted in 13 countries across North America, Western Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Oceania. We identified no studies meeting our criteria in Africa, South America, Eastern Europe, North Asia, or Pacific Islands. Across all regions represented in our review, older adults most commonly referred to themes of social engagement and positive attitude in their own lay definitions of successful aging. Older adults also commonly identified themes of independence and physical health. Least mentioned were themes of cognitive health and spirituality. Lay definitions of successful aging varied by country and culture. Our findings suggest that gerontology professionals in fields including healthcare, health psychology, and public health may best serve older adults by providing services that align with older adults' priority of maintaining strong social engagement as they age. Lay perspectives on successful aging acknowledge the importance of positive attitude, independence, and spirituality, in addition to physical and cognitive functioning.