GENDER DIFFERENCES IN COPING AND CONTROL WITH MEMORY AGING

This secondary analysis of data from a large study of memory perceptio ns among the elderly examined gender differences in control, coping, h ealth, and metamemory and explored the influence of these factors on a nxiety and depression in the elderly. Adults 55 years of age and older , 128 female and 41 males, were recruited from continuing education pr ograms in two Southern states. Females were older than males and repor ted that their memories were better overall than males. There were no differences between the groups in depression, health, or memory contro l variables. Females had significantly greater state anxiety than male s but no differences were seen in domain-specific memory anxiety or ot her metamemory domains. Females scored higher than males on help-seeki ng, existential growth, religiosity, and total coping strategies. In t he two regression models the set of study variables predicted 79% of t he variance in depression and 15% of the variance in memory anxiety. T he addition of perceived health status to each model substantially cha nged each of their predictive values.