Date of Award

9-2025

Document Type

Doctoral Research Project

Degree Name

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Radhika Krishnamurthy

Second Advisor

Mary Caitlin Fertitta

Third Advisor

Michael Slotkin

Fourth Advisor

Anthony LoGalbo

Abstract

Within the aging population, dementia, a neurodegenerative disease that greatly impairs cognition and daily functioning, has become more prevalent and a worldwide concern. An important aspect of detection of dementia is assessment of cognition, including use of cognitive screening instruments. Assessing factors that influence cognition and dementia, such as age and gender differences, is an important line of research. Personality has also demonstrated a relationship to dementia risk and performance across several cognitive domains. This study examined the influences of age and gender on the association between cognition and personality in individuals with and without dementia. Data was collected from a memory clinic in Central Florida (N = 237), with cognitive functioning measured with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) and personality measured with the NEO Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI). Results revealed significant associations between Openness and MoCA performance for younger (age 74 and below) participants in the dementia group and between Neuroticism and MoCA performance for younger participants in the non-dementia group, indicating age differences across cognitive status. Minimal gender influences were discovered, although women in the non-dementia group exhibited a significant association between Neuroticism and MoCA score. This study provided a deeper understanding into the complexities of dementia in terms of factors, such as personality, age, and gender, that have influence on cognitive performance in older adults.

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