Em. Zelinski et al., The relationship between subjective and objective memory in the oldest old: Comparisons of findings from a representative and a convenience sample, J AG HEALTH, 13(2), 2001, pp. 248-266
Objectives: To evaluate the hypotheses that subjective memory ratings are m
ore accurate in the oldest old than in the young old and more accurate in a
representative sample than in a convenience sample. Methods: Outcomes of h
ierarchical regressions of subjective ratings and participant characteristi
cs on recall were compared between a nationally representative sample of 6,
446 adults ages 70 to 103 and a convenience sample of 326 adults ages 70 to
97. Results: Education interacted with memory ratings in the prediction of
performance in the representative sample, with better prediction for more
highly educated participants than for participants with lower levels of edu
cation. Discussion: The general pattern of findings was consistent across b
oth samples and neither hypothesis was supported. Possible explanations for
the similarity of results across samples are considered.