Publication Type
Journal Article
Version
submittedVersion
Publication Date
10-2020
Abstract
Given the paucity of research on the cognitive implications of social media use in middle and late adulthood, we sought to understand the relations between middle-aged and older adults' social media use and their executive functions (EF)—a set of domain-general cognitive control processes—and the underlying mechanism. By analyzing a nationally representative cohort ranging from ages 40s–70s from the MIDUS Refresher Survey and Cognitive Project, we tested a serial mediation model with perception of social support and sense of control (i.e., personal mastery and perceived constraints) as sequential mediators in a structural equation modeling analysis. We found that perceived social support and constraints fully and serially mediated the relation of middle-aged and older adults' social media use for interpersonal interactions with EF. Our study demonstrates that middle-aged and older adults’ social media use for social connection can be a useful medium that protects against age-related cognitive decline in EF.
Keywords
Social media use, Executive functions, Social support, Perceived constraints, Older adults
Discipline
Applied Behavior Analysis | Social Media | Social Psychology
Research Areas
Psychology
Publication
Computers in Human Behavior
Volume
111
First Page
1
Last Page
10
ISSN
0747-5632
Identifier
10.1016/j.chb.2020.106388
Publisher
Elsevier
Citation
KHOO, Shi Ann Shuna, & YANG, Hwajin.(2020). Social media use improves executive functions in middle-aged and older adults: A structural equation modeling analysis. Computers in Human Behavior, 111, 1-10.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/soss_research/3189
Copyright Owner and License
Authors
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Additional URL
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2020.106388