Cognitive decline is the gradual worsening of an individual's ability to think, remember, reason, or make decisions. This decline in cognitive function is an indicator of structural and functional changes in the brain's networks, neurons, and synapses. As the brain ages, these neurological changes occur naturally, and some loss in cognitive function is expected as individuals enter older adulthood, even outside of diagnoses of dementia. Importantly, this decline in cognitive flexibility, which is a key aspect of cognitive function, can influence judgment and, in turn, political attitudes.
The goal of this interdisciplinary Neuroscience and Political Science thesis is to examine whether the cognitive performance of older adults predicts their political attitudes and behaviours. We are using the Czech Republic sample from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe study. We explore the relationship between validated cognitive measures (e.g., immediate and delayed word recall, verbal fluency, temporal orientation, and numeracy tasks) and the following political attitudes and behaviors: local engagement, political efficacy, support for democratic values, and opinions on national and international issues.