Want to Feel Younger? Don’t Take a Memory Test

667px-MigraineA recent research study (a carefully controlled investigation to get information and explanations) published in a journal (professional magazine of scientific information) called Psychology Science is the reason I will only be taking easy tests from now on.

A recent news report about the study said that researchers found that older people with an average age of 75 who took a memory test (a test of how much one remembers) said they felt five years older after the test.

Maybe everyone feels older after taking a memory test. No so (true). When two groups of people — one group of older adults and one group of young people in their 20’s — took the memory test, only the older adults reported feeling older afterwards.

Maybe it’s taking any kind of test that makes people feel older. Again, not true. When two groups of older adults took two kinds of different tests — one group taking the memory test and one group taking a vocabulary test — only the memory test group felt older afterwards.

Why?

The researchers say that it’s because the test highlights (gives attention to) one of people’s greatest fears about aging (getting older): losing their memory. In a related study, when people were told that they did well on a strength test (test of how strong someone is), they not only felt younger, but did better on future strength tests.

The implications (what should be done based on this information) are clear. If you feel you’re getting old, only take easy tests. That may sound silly (not smart or wise), but the researchers themselves point out that older adults are good at vocabulary tests and puzzles, often acing (do very well at) these types of tests or activities. This may be because an older person’s life experience can be brought to bear (used to get results) on these kinds of challenges.

Do you have any concerns about getting older? Is losing your memory one of those concerns?

– Lucy

Photo Credit:  Migraine from Wikipedia

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27 Responses to Want to Feel Younger? Don’t Take a Memory Test

  1. Dan says:

    Hello Lucy how are you today?

    Tank you for today’s post.

    I am not experiencing particularly concerns at the moment, and I rate my memory….. average.

    I am not preoccupied about getting older, and ready to face whatever is coming on my way like a good little soldier.

    Lucy, let me tell you that I find the podcast’s descriptions to always be funny. Congratulations to whomever is the author of those.

    And the Blog too is useful ’cause I feel driven to always writing something down. This also is a good exercise for improving our memory since we are using what we learn.

    Thank you

  2. emiliano says:

    NO

    Sorry but NO AT ALL, in fact having played some of these tests by fun, at the end the result has been (I am very serious, it is not a joke) incredible.
    My age in the play machine two or three years ago was 35 or less, (I was astonished) and I was decreasing the age as fast as I was doing the exercise.

    Listening or Reading some information about this kind of subjects I have read that the best exercise all kind of people could do the have a fresh
    mind it is just learning a new language.

    Consequently I have been Reading in English for long, but also writing here and doing these kind of things.

    No, I am not concern about getting older respect my mind………for the moment, ja,ja, in fact now I doing a best intelectual work in the web
    than when I was younger working at the Bank doing a very easy and rutinary work every day.

    Interesting subject Lucy, it is really nice for me and sorry if I look just a bit pretentious, but what I said it is just the truth.

    My best for you as always dear Lucy and thanks a lot.

    emiliano

  3. Parviz says:

    Hi Lucy,
    Good work.
    Older people are having a dilemma dealing with aging issue.
    In one hand you know that your getting close to be to able to don things you use to do.
    On the other hand most of the friends and acquaintance would die and would get lonely.
    No living thing can scape this situation, meaning none of us can move the aging top-down, no older can become younger again.
    This is the fate of every living thing, that always grow toward more development and expression.
    The truth is, some part of our latent power wouldn’t be unleashed until we quiet passed 60. That is no matter how long we live, It is going in one direction and also there carrying on new excitements.

    I can’t write more than that. gotta run.
    Thank you,
    Parviz

  4. Aécio Flávio Perim says:

    If you don’t want to get older, stop in yours 40’s. Now that I am 72, I can say that it is no good to get older and older, but there are things in compensation: respect (when you find it), wisdom, a better look about things, the capacity of seeing over the hills, people concerned about you, family taking care of you, old friens, grandchildren, etc. But take care about falls, cause you can breake bones, the seeing gets weaker, the taste becomes less accurate, you smell funny like thrift store and something. You choose!
    Aecio, from that place you already know where it is.

  5. Myo ko ko says:

    Humm,
    Lucy
    I don’t have any worry about aging because I think I’ve had a well-prepared mindset about it.
    Sometimes I just wonder why people are too anxious about getting older.
    Aging is just one of so many realities we human beings have to go through.
    How easy it would be for us to accept this known reality if we understand things as they are!
    When we can nurture this seeing-things-as-they-are attitude,
    we will become to realize what is avoidable and what is not clearly.
    At that time, we will be in a state of getting ready to get rid of these gibberish that makes us feel worried.
    If so, what is the point in feeling concerns about going up there in the age when it is an inevitable reality for us?!

    So let’s not worry about how old we are anymore?
    Let’s not forget that we were born to get older?
    Let’s know the true nature of we human beings?
    Let’s embrace the ever-true reality without being upset?
    Let’s face what we human beings have got to face with no-concern mindset?
    Let’s appreciate being an aged person with worry-free attitude?

    Well, Lucy
    Sorry, I got serious today. Most of the time I try to be funny but today I’m a bit serious.

    Your post makes me feel a bit older!
    Thanks for that. 😉

    By the way, my friends here
    if interested, guess how old I am.
    If you get it right, I’ll pay you a visit or you can pay me a visit. How about? Come on! 😉

    Myo ko ko

  6. Dan says:

    Hey Myo.

    My guess is 25.

    Thanks

  7. Myo ko ko says:

    Thanks Dan
    Let’s wait and see other friends’ guesses.
    OK?
    I’m 108% sure our teachers Jeff and Lucy themselves don’t also know exactly the age I’m at! 😉
    But I gave my dear friend Emiliano a hint about this.
    Hey, feel free to put me at any age you can think of me,OK?
    (BTW, here I use a phrasal verb ” to put at” which means “to guess.” Thank a lot teacher Jeff, you tought it to me.)

    Good luck, guys!
    See you soon.

    Myo ko ko

  8. Betty says:

    Thanks Dear Lucy

    This is such a good topic to write something about. I am aware of myself getting older every day, so I am doing lots of things to stop it affecting me too much. Learning English here is one of the ways to combat old and lonely days.

    The voices of Jeff and Lucy have kept me companied.

    Reading everyone’s comments here also help me reduce the anxiety of loneliness which comes to every old person’s life.

    I am not worried about forgetting things. Of course I forget everything in a very short time. I simply take pictures of where I hide my laptop computer, my removable hard disc, my passport etc etc.

    I then send the picture to my email account with the subject title of “laptop computer”, “hard disc” etc.

    Why do I have to hide my laptop computer and passport? My house was burgled once and since then I must hide all those thing I don’t want to lose before I leave home. When I arrived home after going out, I completely forgot where I have hidden my stuff.

    I think it is pointless in worrying about forgetting thing, simply set up a system to remind ourselves things that we bound to forget.

    I hope I will never forget this website.

    Best Regards

    Betty 🙂

  9. Betty says:

    Hi Myo Ko Ko

    You have given us a very difficult question.

    I think you must be older than 25 because your English standard is so high which must have taken you a very long time to establish.

    On the other hand, you have so much energy to write so much I think you must be younger than 25.

    Shall I say you are older than 25 and younger than 52?

    Just kidding, you won’t accept it as an answer, will you?

    I have given up guessing.

    Betty 🙂

  10. emiliano says:

    Cold, very cold Dan…..I only said that to you Dan.

    Myo Ko Ko is too wise to be so young dear friend, but I don´t want to say
    youth are not clever, it is just a different way of watching life.

    What Myo Ko Ko writes above, the same as Aécio, are not words of a very
    young person, don´t you think so, Dan?

    It´s funny, but what the age of Lucy could be?

    This a different matter, girls or woman never said what her age is once
    she get…….how many?…..Thirty?

    Just try it, how old is our fairy queen Lucy Tse?

    emiliano

  11. bilal says:

    hello everybody .
    Nice work Dr lucy,my guss is 32.
    good continuation guys .

  12. Dan says:

    Hey there guys,

    Betty, really! you have to hide your stuff…I am sorry to hear that.

    LOL..you came up with a clever way of remembering where things are.

    To me Lucy is around my age 43… give or take.

    thanks

  13. emiliano says:

    What about thirty?, more or less……I said Myo Ko Ko, not our dear Lucy
    that sure she is younger.

    emiliano

  14. Parviz says:

    Hi Myo Ko Ko
    Good question, enough to get all here worked up.
    But I have a question for you, if you are not worried about getting older so why are you asking us to guess your age?
    My guess is inside of you beats an eternal pump which never corrode, no matter how older you get.
    That’s what’s in my mind, when it comes to guess your age by looking at your posts.
    _______________________________
    And for guessing Lucy’s age I am thinking of a magic wall that stops her from getting older.
    Inside this magic wall lies a spring of eternity, which gives water to others and makes green grow everywhere it flows.
    Outside, she may get wrinkled, as all materials do, from inside her power outshine every one else.
    _______________________________
    Getting older doesn’t have to be scary. As human being we all have inexhaustible source of talents, which reveal gradually to us only when we get older. Wisdom comes with age.
    We might not be strong physically as our 20-year-old counterparts, but we have more experience and mental strength that surpass their strength. (by we I mean others).
    Thank you,
    Parviz

  15. Dan says:

    Hello Parviz

    I am not sure about the stereotype that wisdom comes aging, or at least not for everybody.

    I see countless old people that are, say rude, not to use other words. Especially at the post office while waiting in line….

    I see also many youngster that show wisdom are polite and tolerant.

    Let’s just say that wisdom does not look at the age of its host.

    What do you think?

  16. Dan says:

    Tania..

    I am keeping an eye on you.
    I am studying your curious style of posting later..Tania Tania..

    Just kidding;-)

  17. Dan says:

    Hey guys

    On the local news they are saying that a satellite named GOCE from ESA (European Space Agency)
    is going to crash between Sunday and Monday. It may fall in my region!

    Hope to see that. I will let you know.

  18. emiliano says:

    How incredible nice words to Lucy dear Parviz, sure she has to be happy
    reading your words.

    To frame them and put the phrase in your study Lucy
    hanging from the wall and if you are down a day read
    Parviz´s words and you´ll be up again.

    Congratulations dear Parviz, I do think the same but
    I have not those words that you said so good to our
    dear fairy queen.

  19. Wang says:

    Hi all!

    Well, What will I say then as Parviz, himself, said all what had crossed my mind 😀 Bravo Parvis!

    Yes, Wisdom comes with age. I guess all of us here had been doing thing impulsively, impetuously in our adulthood…at least, are going thru 😛

    And as time flies by, the more older, the more wiser. I think you won’t disagree with on the matter that it’s easy to be smart after the fact, right?

    But it is just how life goes, we all have been grown up from green, we have been chalked problematic things to experience but we are also

    losing our grittiness to walk on thin ice in order to ace our goals…

    Well, be back to Lucy’s topic, I don’t know why but I sense that I’m becoming forgetful or kind of getting the senility even though I’m probably assumed to be at the peak

    of my life, at the age of 25…Sometimes I found it not that funny as I always have to set up reminders for small-bore things, it apparently consumes

    a lot of time to take every notes down you know. Is there any of you think we are in the same shoe? No Betty, I’m not asking you 😀 I’ve know already that

    we are the same :D, being absentminded :D…It’s funny as reading your above comment…I will tell you my tale here :D, there was one time I tried to hide my money in my wardrobe,

    Then I thought that there is no way I can forget such amount of money. But it turned out that I did…some where in a year later, my older brother asked me that

    can I lend him the money in my wardrobe. It took me a while to realize that I left the money there!

    I hope I brought you to break up (not really but I hope so) there! 😀

    Have a nice weekend my friends

    Wang

  20. Myo ko ko says:

    Hey, Parviz
    Thank you for your question.
    It is just for fun I asked my ESL friends here to guess my age.
    I just wanted to know how old this guy Myo ko ko is in my friends’ mind. 😉
    That is all.
    No ulterior motive behind.
    Again thank you, buddy.

    Now Lucy
    All friends here are asking about your age.
    No, no, I’m not one of those. I don’t want to know about it, really!
    ‘Cuz I already know that you’re not over the hill! 😛

    Myo ko ko

  21. Parviz says:

    Hello every body,
    Thanks for your nice comments. They are really inviting.
    Dan, it look so serious about this topic. Are you afraid of getting older?
    Or, better, Are you looking for a way to handling it better?
    In my defense, that what I wrote has scientific support, it’s not mine, I inherited it, And I didn’t invent them.
    To put it simply, all human have this resources, But it is the matter of expressing their talents.
    You yourself, surely, have done something in the past of which, by the time, you didn’t have a good judgement, but now when you look back and say, I wish I hadn’t done that, did it this way or that way.
    You see, it is just the matter of time which lets you open latent abilities.
    And, as you grow older very many of these experiences happen constantly in your life, which altogether give us a better idea of how to live.
    I know some people live in an eternal state of foolishness. That doesn’t mean they don’t have the same potential as you and others have, rather they can’t find a way to use them. Therefore, they might change physically, but stay mentally as.
    Finally, all people change, but not all people develop.
    Thank you,
    Parviz

  22. Parviz says:

    Dear emiliano;
    Thank you very much, you have been my superhero of few years of my presence in this blog.
    You too are certainly connected to the spiritual element.
    Cheers,
    Parviz

  23. Parviz says:

    Hi Myo Ko Ko,
    You have everything going for you.
    Your question made me stop again and write something here. For sometime, I can’t remember how much, I just observe your posts, Because I was busy, didn’t get into writing something lengthy here.
    Thank you,
    Parviz

  24. Abdulaziz says:

    Hey, Myo ko ko,

    I guess you are 33 and have no reason to base my estimate. This is just a random.

    Abdulaziz

  25. Dan says:

    Hey Parviz,

    Do not worry, you do not need to defend yourself.

    I do not even want to be right or wrong. What I am looking for here it just is learning and listening from everyone.

    When I write something down, it has not scientific support, it just is my own experience, what I see around.

    It has been nice reading you. Keep that up!

    Thanks

  26. Giovanni Soccol says:

    I never had any memory test till now and sure enough I shall not have any in the future. (I’ll be 71 next month)
    Thank you Lucy for the advise.
    Giovanni Soccol

  27. emiliano says:

    THANKS PARVIZ.
    I can´t say any more, some how I am touched by your words.

    emiliano

Comments are closed.