What is this study about?
We all age and experience many changes within ourselves and our lives as we do so.
Aotearoa / New Zealand has an aging population, so finding out about how changes in age, memory, and physical & mental health is more important than ever. Our goal is to promote positive aging experiences for everyone.
The main goal of this study is to look at the relationship between autobiographical memory (memory of personal experiences), mental and physical health, and general wellbeing for adults aged 65 and older. We want to find out more about how these things are connected. This research is being funded by the Royal Society of New Zealand’s Marsden Fund.
We are currently looking for participants for this study.
If you are aged 65 or older, live in New Zealand, and do not have any conditions that affect your memory, you are eligible to take part. If you would like to participate, sign up here:
What does participation involve?
If you sign up to take part, you will receive more detailed information, but overall, participation in this study involves:
- Completing some surveys asking about your health and general wellbeing
- Once a fortnight, write a couple of sentences about two events that occurred in the previous week
- Rate your current mood as prompted
- This is a longitudinal study which means it takes place over time. Our study consists of three 6-month blocks.
How Much Time Does It Take Per Week?
We expect the average time commitment per week to be around 10-15 minutes. We have tried to make each session relatively short, so you can take part in the study without it impacting on your other commitments.
Week 1 will take the most time because that is when the Health and Wellbeing Surveys are completed. There are two surveys to complete, and they take 20 minutes each. After that, there is just one task to do per week. On odd weeks you rate your general mood over the last 24 hours. This takes no more than 5 minutes. On even weeks, you record one positive and one negative memory from the last week. As the study goes on, you will also be asked to provide some ratings of memories you previously recorded. This task shouldn’t take more than 10-15 minutes. We don’t expect people to write too much – a few sentences is more than enough – you just need to write enough that you will recognise the event if it is presented to you later.
How do I take part?
There are two ways that you can take part in this study. The first option is to download a safe and secure app and complete the study via this app. The second option is to complete all parts of the study by going to a website. Both options keep your data safe and secure.
Some people like to use apps and feel comfortable on them. Some people are not that familiar with using apps on their cell phones but feel comfortable using email and websites.
We are offering both options so that you can use whichever type of technology you feel most at ease with. The questions we ask and the tasks you will complete are the same no matter whether you use the app or the website to complete the study.
What do I get for participating?
We understand that this is a big commitment, and we truly value the time and effort that every one of our volunteer participants give.
As a thank you gift from the research team, every person who completes 80% or more of the tasks within a 6-month block will receive a gift voucher. Currently, participants can choose between the following options: Woolworths, Briscoes, Mitre-10 Z Petrol Station, and JB Hifi.
The value of the gift increases as the study progresses. For the first 6-months, the gift voucher will be $25, then $30 for the second 6-months, and $40 for the final 6-months.
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