Social Cognitive Ageing

This study aims to understand whether and how social cognitive function changes across the adult lifespan and how these changes are related to wellbeing.

Every day we navigate a variety of social situations – sometimes successfully and other times not!

Social cognitive function refers to how we perceive, interpret, and process social information, such as understanding how a friend or social partner is feeling or what they are thinking.

Despite the importance of social cognition for establishing and maintaining strong social relationships, important questions remain about how this ability might change across the adult lifespan, and how any changes are related to broader wellbeing. These questions are the focus of this study.

This study is completed face-to-face at the University of Queensland St Lucia Campus over 90 minutes and includes completing a variety of interesting tasks that assess social cognitive skills such as emotion recognition, and broader cognitive skills such as memory. You will also be asked to complete several questionnaires that ask about broader health and wellbeing.

Eligibility

To participate in this study, you must be aged 65 or above. Other inclusionary criteria include:

English as your first language, or high English proficiency
No diagnosis of any neurological disorder (such as epilepsy or Parkinson’s disease)
No neurodevelopmental disorders (such as autism spectrum disorder)
No major psychiatric illness (e.g., clinical depression or schizophrenia)

Participant Benefits

You will receive a $30 gift card to cover travel expenses and for participation in the study. Free parking is also available.

Register your interest

For more information or to participate please contact either Emma Garnham (emma.garnham@uq.net.au) or Genevieve Fletcher (genevieve.fletcher@uq.net.au)

This study has been approved by The University of Queensland Human Research Ethics Committee [Approval No. 2022/HE000359]