The Association between Routinization and Cognitive Resources in Later Life

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the association between routinization of daily life activities and cognitive resources during aging. Routinization could increase excessively during aging and become maladaptative in reducing individual resources. Fifty-two young participants ( M = 20.8 years) and 62 older participants ( M = 66.9 years) underwent a routinization scale and cognitive tasks of working memory, speed of processing, and attention. Results revealed that older adults presented a decrease on the three cognitive measures but no change on the routinization score. While no association was observed between routinization and cognitive measures for the young adults, a high routinization was associated with lower cognitive flexibility in the older adults. These findings are interpreted in the light of theories about the positive impact of variety in daily life environment on cognitive functions.