Summary: Older adults who learned several new, real-world skills showed lasting cognitive improvements — and those gains increased over time, according to a new study.
Source: UCR
New research shows that learning multiple unfamiliar, practical skills at the same time can produce sustained cognitive benefits for older adults.
Researchers led by Rachel Wu, an associate professor of psychology at the University of California, Riverside, report that older adults who adopted a child-like approach to learning — embracing multiple new tasks without fear of failure and remaining open to instruction — experienced measurable improvements in cognitive function that continued to grow long after the learning period ended.
“Our results indicate that simultaneously learning real-world skills can lead to long-term improvements in cognition during older adulthood,” the authors state in their paper published in the journal Aging and Mental Health. “These findings support the value of lifelong learning as a way to enhance cognitive abilities later in life.”
Across two studies, participants who spent about 15 hours per week learning at least three new skills for three months showed sustained gains on cognitive tests administered immediately after the course and again at 3, 6, and 12 months post-intervention. On average, performance on measures of attention, inhibition (cognitive control), and short-term memory increased by roughly two to three times compared with baseline, and in many cases improvements were even larger.
The first study involved six participants and the second study included 27 participants. Median ages were 66 and 69, respectively; all participants were at least 55 years old, fluent in English, had normal or corrected vision, and had no prior diagnosis of cognitive impairment. The intensive time commitment required for the classes limited the pool of eligible participants.
During the three-month intervention, participants attended a UC Riverside classroom program for older adults, where they learned multiple skills such as conversational Spanish, iPad use, photography, painting, and music composition. Cognitive assessments were conducted in a research laboratory before classes began, midway through the courses, at the end of the three-month period, and at three subsequent follow-ups: three months, six months, and one year after the intervention concluded.
The primary aim of the follow-up testing was to determine whether cognitive gains persisted — or even increased — up to one year after the classes ended. The battery tested executive functions, including working memory and cognitive control, as well as verbal episodic memory and other attention-related abilities.
Results from linear mixed-effects models showed significant improvements across multiple cognitive outcomes from pre-test to follow-up. Executive function improvements were especially notable from pre-test to the one-year follow-up, driven largely by stronger cognitive control scores. In several measures, participants’ cognitive performance improved to levels comparable with undergraduate students taking the same tests for the first time.
The authors attribute these sustained gains to the combination of learning several distinct, real-world skills at once and doing so in a supportive, energetic environment that resembles how children learn: with curiosity, persistence, openness to feedback, and a willingness to practice multiple domains simultaneously. The commitment resembled a full undergraduate course load in both hours and intensity.
Wu emphasizes that the findings build on prior research suggesting older adults retain considerable learning capacity when they adopt effective learning behaviors. Approaching new skills with an open mind, accepting mistakes as part of the process, and engaging intensively with varied tasks appear to be key elements in producing durable cognitive improvement.
The study team includes Leah Ferguson, Debaleena Sain, and Esra Kürüm from UC Riverside; Carla M. Strickland-Hughes from the University of the Pacific; and George W. Rebok from Johns Hopkins University.
About this cognition and aging research news
Author: John Warren
Source: UCR
Contact: John Warren, UCR
Image: The image is in the public domain
Original Research: Open access.
“One-year cognitive outcomes from a multiple real-world skill learning intervention with older adults” by Rachel Wu et al., Aging & Mental Health
Abstract
One-year cognitive outcomes from a multiple real-world skill learning intervention with older adults
Objectives
Previous work shows that learning novel skills can yield short-term cognitive benefits. These two studies extend that work by testing whether simultaneously learning several practical, unfamiliar skills (for example, a new language, drawing, or music composition) for at least six hours per week produces cognitive gains that persist for a year.
Method
After completing a three-month, multi-skill learning intervention, participants in Study 1 (N = 6, mean age = 66 years) and Study 2 (N = 27, mean age = 69 years) completed cognitive follow-ups at 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months post-intervention. Assessments measured executive functions (working memory and cognitive control) and verbal episodic memory.
Results
Statistical modeling revealed improvements across multiple cognitive outcomes from baseline to the follow-up assessments. Executive function increased from pre-test to the one-year follow-up in both studies, with cognitive control showing particularly strong gains.
Discussion
These findings demonstrate that concurrently learning several real-world skills can produce long-term cognitive improvements in older adults. Future research with larger, more diverse samples should explore which individuals benefit most and which skill combinations are most effective. Overall, the results reinforce the cognitive value of sustained, varied learning throughout life.