IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/intell/v89y2021ics0160289621000829.html

Occupational cognitive complexity and episodic memory in old age

Author

Listed:
  • Sörman, Daniel Eriksson
  • Stenling, Andreas
  • Sundström, Anna
  • Rönnlund, Michael
  • Vega-Mendoza, Mariana
  • Hansson, Patrik
  • Ljungberg, Jessica K.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate occupational cognitive complexity of main lifetime occupation in relation to level and 15-year change in episodic memory recall in a sample of older adults (≥ 65 years, n = 780). We used latent growth curve modelling with occupational cognitive complexity (O*NET indicators) as independent variable. Subgroup analyses in a sample of middle-aged (mean: 49.9 years) men (n = 260) were additionally performed to investigate if a general cognitive ability (g) factor at age 18 was predictive of future occupational cognitive complexity and cognitive performance in midlife. For the older sample, a higher level of occupational cognitive complexity was related to a higher level of episodic recall (β = 0.15, p < .001), but the association with rate of change (β = 0.03, p = .64) was not statistically significant. In the middle-aged sample, g at age 18 was both directly (β = 0.19, p = .01) and indirectly (via years of education after age 18, ab = 0.19) predictive of midlife levels of occupational cognitive complexity. Cognitive ability at age 18 was also a direct predictor of midlife episodic recall (β = 0.60, p ≤ 0.001). Critically, entry of the early adult g factor attenuated the association between occupational complexity and cognitive level (from β = 0.21, p = .01 to β = 0.12, p = .14). Overall, our results support a pattern of preserved differentiation from early to late adulthood for individuals with different histories of occupational complexity.

Suggested Citation

  • Sörman, Daniel Eriksson & Stenling, Andreas & Sundström, Anna & Rönnlund, Michael & Vega-Mendoza, Mariana & Hansson, Patrik & Ljungberg, Jessica K., 2021. "Occupational cognitive complexity and episodic memory in old age," Intelligence, Elsevier, vol. 89(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:intell:v:89:y:2021:i:c:s0160289621000829
    DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2021.101598
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160289621000829
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.intell.2021.101598?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Michael J. Handel, 2016. "The O*NET content model: strengths and limitations [Stärken und Grenzen des O*NET-Models]," Journal for Labour Market Research, Springer;Institute for Employment Research/ Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), vol. 49(2), pages 157-176, October.
    2. Aleksej Bukov & Ineke Maas & Thomas Lampert, 2002. "Social Participation in Very Old Age," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 57(6), pages 510-517.
    3. Ian J. Deary & W. David Hill & Catharine R. Gale, 2021. "Intelligence, health and death," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 5(4), pages 416-430, April.
    4. Handel, Michael J., 2016. "The O-NET content model: strengths and limitations," Journal for Labour Market Research, Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung (IAB), Nürnberg [Institute for Employment Research, Nuremberg, Germany], vol. 49(2), pages 157-176.
    5. Ross Andel & Deborah Finkel & Nancy L. Pedersen, 2016. "Effects of Preretirement Work Complexity and Postretirement Leisure Activity on Cognitive Aging," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 71(5), pages 849-856.
    6. Sara Pudas & Michael Rönnlund & Angela Gutchess, 2019. "School Performance and Educational Attainment as Early-Life Predictors of Age-Related Memory Decline: Protective Influences in Later-Born Cohorts," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 74(8), pages 1356-1365.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Böhm, Robert & Letmathe, Peter & Schinner, Matthias, 2023. "The monetary value of competencies: A novel method and case study in smart manufacturing," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 189(C).
    2. repec:eur:ejesjr:364 is not listed on IDEAS
    3. Fareri, Silvia & Apreda, Riccardo & Mulas, Valentina & Alonso, Ruben, 2023. "The worker profiler: Assessing the digital skill gaps for enhancing energy efficiency in manufacturing," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 196(C).
    4. repec:eur:ejesjr:361 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Chiarello, Filippo & Fantoni, Gualtiero & Hogarth, Terence & Giordano, Vito & Baltina, Liga & Spada, Irene, 2021. "Towards ESCO 4.0 – Is the European classification of skills in line with Industry 4.0? A text mining approach," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    6. Granata,Julia & Moroz,Harry Edmund & Nga Thi Nguyen, 2023. "Identifying Skills Needs in Vietnam: The Survey of Detailed Skills," Policy Research Working Paper Series 10565, The World Bank.
    7. Christenko, Aleksandr, 2022. "Automation and occupational mobility: A task and knowledge-based approach," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    8. Sabina Szymczak, 2023. "Systematic literature review: theory on GVCs' impact on wages, employment, and productivity," GUT FME Working Paper Series A 71, Faculty of Management and Economics, Gdansk University of Technology.
    9. G. Jacob Blackwood & Cindy Cunningham & Matthew Dey & Lucia Foster & Cheryl Grim & John Haltiwanger & Rachel Nesbit & Sabrina Wulff Pabilonia & Jay Stewart & Cody Tuttle & Zoltan Wolf, 2023. "Opening the Black Box: Task and Skill Mix and Productivity Dispersion," NBER Chapters, in: Technology, Productivity, and Economic Growth, pages 323-360, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    10. Chigusa Okamoto, 2019. "The effect of automation levels on US interstate migration," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 63(3), pages 519-539, December.
    11. Milena Nikolova & Anthony Lepinteur & Femke Cnossen, 2025. "Just another cog in the machine? A worker‐level view of robotization and tasks," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 92(368), pages 1101-1148, October.
    12. Francesco Roncone, 2025. "Work-Hour Instability, Occupational Mobility and Gender," Working Papers wp1201, Dipartimento Scienze Economiche, Universita' di Bologna.
    13. Fabio Montobbio & Jacopo Staccioli & Maria Enrica Virgillito & Marco Vivarelli, 2021. "Labour-saving automation and occupational exposure: a text-similarity measure," DISCE - Working Papers del Dipartimento di Politica Economica dipe0021, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Dipartimenti e Istituti di Scienze Economiche (DISCE).
    14. Engberg, Erik & Görg, Holger & Hellsten, Mark & Javed, Farrukh & Lodefalk, Magnus & Längkvist, Martin & Monteiro, Natália Pimenta & Nordås, Hildegunn Kyvik & Pulito, Giuseppe & Schroeder, Sarah & Tang, 2026. "Who is afraid of AI? Who should be?," Kiel Policy Briefs 198, Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
    15. G. Jacob Blackwood & Cindy Cunningham & Matthew Dey & Lucia Foster & Cheryl Grim & John Haltiwanger & Rachel Nesbit & Sabrina Wulff Pabilonia & Jay Stewart & Cody Tuttle & Zoltan Wolf, 2025. "Job Tasks, Worker Skills, and Productivity," Working Papers 25-63, Center for Economic Studies, U.S. Census Bureau.
    16. Kshitiz Khanal & Nikhil Kaza & Nichola Lowe, 2025. "Occupational Transitions into Clean Energy: A Workforce Development Approach Using Occupational Similarity and Unsupervised Clustering," Economic Development Quarterly, , vol. 39(4), pages 232-249, November.
    17. Ximena P. Vergara & Kathryn Gibb & David P. Bui & Elisabeth Gebreegziabher & Elon Ullman & Kyle Peerless, 2025. "Extending a COVID-19 Job Exposure Matrix: The SARS-CoV-2 or COVID-19 Job Exposure Matrix Module (SCoVJEM Module) for Population-Based Studies," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 22(3), pages 1-18, March.
    18. Evans, Andrew J., 2025. "Methodological implications of using machine learning to estimate the impact of AI on the workforce," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 218(C).
    19. Gottlieb, Charles & Grobovšek, Jan & Poschke, Markus & Saltiel, Fernando, 2021. "Working from home in developing countries," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    20. Parsons, Christopher & Reysenbach, Tyler & Wahba, Jackline, 2020. "Network Sorting and Labor Market Outcomes: Evidence from the Chaotic Dispersal of the Viet Kieu," IZA Discussion Papers 13952, IZA Network @ LISER.
    21. Greenspon, Jacob & Raimi, Daniel, 2022. "Matching Geographies and Job Skills in the Energy Transition," RFF Working Paper Series 22-25, Resources for the Future.
    22. Moh Hosseinioun & Frank Neffke & Letian Zhang & Hyejin Youn, 2025. "Skill dependencies uncover nested human capital," Nature Human Behaviour, Nature, vol. 9(4), pages 673-687, April.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:intell:v:89:y:2021:i:c:s0160289621000829. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/intelligence .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.