Esselbrugge, Noa (2026) Sex Differences in Verbal Memory and Picture Naming in Older Adults with Subjective Cognitive Decline. Master thesis, Psychology.
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Abstract
Introduction: Alzheimer’s disease is a prevalent neurodegenerative disease in older adults. Despite the higher prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease in women, they are generally diagnosed later than men. A proposed explanation for this later diagnosis is the female verbal advantage, which potentially leads to superior verbal memory for women. However, the question remains whether the female verbal advantage is present in older adults with subjective cognitive decline. For this reason, sex differences in 15-Word Test performance (Total Immediate Recall, Total Delayed Recall, Learning Ratio) and Picture naming performance (Object naming, Action naming) of older adults with subjective cognitive decline were researched. Method: Independent Samples T-Tests were conducted to examine sex differences in Total Immediate Recall, Total Delayed Recall and Learning Ratio. Mann-Whitney U-Tests were conducted to examine sex differences in Object naming and Action naming. A Paired Samples T-Test was conducted to evaluate differences between Object naming and Action naming. Results: The sample consisted of 34 participants (16 females, 18 males), aged 55 to 86. No significant sex differences were found in 15-Word Test and Picture naming performance. However, females consistently had higher mean scores compared to males. Older adults scored significantly better on Object naming compared to Action naming. Discussion: In future research it is recommended to utilize larger sample sizes and a longitudinal design to gain more insight in the course of cognitive decline in older adults with subjective cognitive decline.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Master) |
|---|---|
| Supervisor name: | Enriquez Geppert, S. and Wardana, N.D. |
| Degree programme: | Psychology |
| Differentiation route: | Clinical Neuropsychology (CN) [Master Psychology] |
| Date Deposited: | 02 Mar 2026 07:06 |
| Last Modified: | 02 Mar 2026 07:06 |
| URI: | http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/6287 |
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