This Personality Trait May Reveal How Well You're Ageing

Person reading in front of a range of booksSpeaking on The Guardian’s Science Focus podcast recently, Dr Mary Whatley, assistant professor of psychology at Western Carolina University, discussed how older people’s responses to trivia questions in a study she ran showed a more complex relationship between ageing and curiosity than was expected. Participants were asked a trivia question, like which country was the first to allow women to vote or what the word “dinosaur” means. They were also asked how curious they were to hear the answer to that question, as well as having their general curiosity assessed.General curiosity among people who love things like reading broadly and exploring the world – far-reaching, or “trait,” curiosity – “has been shown to relate to better cognitive outcomes,” Dr Whatley shared. Older people tended to have more “state curiosity,” or temporary interest in a specific question or subject, with most people’s trait curiosity declining over time.For his part, however, Dr Mattias Gruber, a researcher in the Cardiff University Brain Imaging Centre, said that all curiosity could be good for our brains: “The hippocampus is an important centre in the brain’s learning and memory network. When somebody is in a state of high curiosity, the hippocampus is also active,” he said. Why might curiosity help with ageing?Well, there’s the simple fact that curious people might be more outdoorsy and engage in activities like reading and socialising, which we know are good for us, more often.Additionally, curiosity seems to be linked to healthier brains younger in life. And because curiosity might well help children to learn more information, it could even help to build up something called your “cognitive reserve” ― a bank of knowledge and information that acts as a kind of ballast against cognitive decline. Scientists also think the processes that happen in your brain when you’re curious about something could help your memory centres. Some suggest the activity it creates in the “hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, and ventral striatum” could be great for our minds, and may even predict income levels.How can I stay curious as I age?When it comes to state curiosity, or the desire to know the answer to a specific question or to explore a niche interest, you might not actually need much help, Dr Whatley’s research found. Her study’s results suggested that while trait (general) curiosity tends to go down over time, state curiosity dips at about 40, then soars among older adults. UCLA suggested that older people should continue to learn new things, especially related to their hobbies and interests.Those who expressed less curiosity and seemed more disinterested may have been at a higher risk of dementia.Remember, though, Dr Whatley warned: “Stay curious, but watch out for simple answers to complicated questions, enticing headlines and scams,” which older people are more susceptible to believing.Related...Going To Bed After This Time May Affect Healthy AgeingThis Is The Age When Ageing 'Accelerates', According To New ResearchIt’s Called A ‘Fart Walk’, And It May Be The Secret To Healthy Ageing, Doctor Says

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