Occupational Complexity and Executive Functioning

Abstract: Executive Functioning (EF) such as planning, organization, attention, and self-control, has a high impact on quality of life, but is vulnerable to aging.  One factor that may help to maintain and strengthen EF is Occupational Complexity (OC), the degree of complexity in one’s primary occupation in life.  Higher OC has been associated with higher EF performance in old age.  However, few of these findings were based on the latest occupational taxonomy (Occupational Network Information; O'NET) that may best reflect todays jobs.  The current study adds to this scarce body of knowledge by examining EF, as conceptualized by Miyake, et al. (2000), and OC, using O'NET.  Data from the Umeå Healthy Aging longitudinal study database was analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling to test the relationship between EF, OC, and their component constructs.  Results from 227 participants showed that individuals with higher OC had higher EF in late life, but this association was not statistically significant (nearly all p values <.05), suggesting that there was no such association in the current sample.