Associations of an individual's need for cognition with structural brain damage and cognitive functioning/impairment: cross-sectional population-based study

BACKGROUND

High cognitive activity possibly reduces the risk of cognitive decline and dementia.

AIMS

To investigate associations between an individual's need to engage in cognitively stimulating activities (need for cognition, NFC) and structural brain damage and cognitive functioning in the Dutch general population with and without existing cognitive impairment.

METHOD

Cross-sectional data were used from the population-based cohort of the Maastricht Study. NFC was measured using the Need For Cognition Scale. Cognitive functioning was tested in three domains: verbal memory, information processing speed, and executive functioning and attention. Values 1.5 s.d. below the mean were defined as cognitive impairment. Standardised volumes of white matter hyperintensities (WMH), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and presence of cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) were derived from 3T magnetic resonance imaging. Multiple linear and binary logistic regression analyses were used adjusted for demographic, somatic and lifestyle factors.

RESULTS

Participants (n = 4209; mean age 59.06 years, s.d. = 8.58; 50.1% women) with higher NFC scores had higher overall cognition scores (B = 0.21, 95% CI 0.17-0.26, P < 0.001) and lower odds for CSVD (OR = 0.74, 95% CI 0.60-0.91, P = 0.005) and cognitive impairment (OR = 0.60, 95% CI 0.48-0.76, P < 0.001) after adjustment for demographic, somatic and lifestyle factors. The association between NFC score and cognitive functioning was similar for individuals with and without prevalent cognitive impairment. We found no significant association between NFC and WMH or CSF volumes.

CONCLUSIONS

A high need to engage in cognitively stimulating activities is associated with better cognitive functioning and less presence of CSVD and cognitive impairment. This suggests that, in middle-aged individuals, motivation to engage in cognitively stimulating activities may be an opportunity to improve brain health.

Being Snoopy and Smart

Abstract. Curiosity is a basic driver for learning and development. It has been conceptualized as a desire for new information and knowledge that motivates people to explore their physical and social environment. This raises the question of whether curiosity facilitates the acquisition of knowledge. The present study ( N = 100) assessed epistemic curiosity and general knowledge as well as fluid intelligence (i.e., reasoning ability, processing speed, memory) in a student sample. The results indicate that epistemic curiosity is moderately related to knowledge ( r = .24) and reasoning ability ( r = .30). None of the fluid intelligence measures did moderate the relationship between curiosity and knowledge (interaction terms β < |.08|). Rather, reasoning ability mediated the relationship between epistemic curiosity and general knowledge (indirect effect: β = .10, p < .05). The findings suggest that epistemic curiosity facilitates the acquisition of knowledge by promoting reasoning. One might speculate that epistemically curious individuals enrich their environment, which in turn enhances their cognitive ability.

From anecdote to evidence: the relationship between personality and need for cognition of developers

There is considerable anecdotal evidence suggesting that software engineers enjoy engaging in solving puzzles and other cognitive efforts. A tendency to engage in and enjoy effortful thinking is referred to as a person's 'need for cognition.' In this article we study the relationship between software engineers' personality traits and their need for cognition. Through a large-scale sample study of 483 respondents we collected data to capture the six 'bright' personality traits of the HEXACO model of personality, and three 'dark' personality traits. Data were analyzed using several methods including a multiple Bayesian linear regression analysis. The results indicate that ca. 33% of variation in developers' need for cognition can be explained by personality traits. The Bayesian analysis suggests four traits to be of particular interest in predicting need for cognition: openness to experience, conscientiousness, honesty-humility, and emotionality. Further, we also find that need for cognition of software engineers is, on average, higher than in the general population, based on a comparison with prior studies. Given the importance of human factors for software engineers' performance in general, and problem solving skills in particular, our findings suggest several implications for recruitment, working behavior, and teaming.