Neuroticism moderates the daily relation between stressors and memory failures

Abstract

The present investigation extends previous work on the relationship between daily stressors and memory failures in a naturalistic setting by examining whether this relationship varies across levels of neuroticism. A daily diary study of 333 older adults (mean age = 73.27 years, SD = 7.17) in the Veterans Affairs Normative Aging Study (see A. Spiro & R. Bossé, 2001, for additional information) was used to examine whether there were neuroticism differences in cognitive reactivity to daily stressors. Multilevel models indicated that on days when people high in neuroticism experienced stressors, particularly interpersonal stressors, they were more likely to report memory failures compared to those who were lower in neuroticism. The findings may have important implications for age-related cognitive decline.

Figure 1

Predicted values based on extreme observed scores (0 stressors, 7 stressors) for the cross-level interaction of neuroticism differences in the within-person covariation of the sum of daily stressors and memory failures over time. The figure is adjusted for age, gender, self-rated health, and number of life event stressors. People higher in neuroticism (M = 1 SD) were more reactive to daily stressors than were those lower in neuroticism (M – 1 SD).

Figure 2

Predicted values for the cross-level interaction of neuroticism differences in the within-person covariation of interpersonal stressors and memory failures over time. The figure is adjusted for age, gender, self-rated health, and number of life event stressors. People higher in neuroticism (M + 1 SD) were more reactive to interpersonal stressors than those lower in neuroticism (M – 1 SD).