Relationship between Mindfulness and Cognitive Failures: Moderating Role of Education

Ageing is associated with many degenerative functional changes and cognitive functions are most vulnerable in this period. Given that there is little information about cognitive failures in the elderly and its influencing factors; the purpose of this research was investigating the mediating role of education in the relationship between mindfulness and cognitive failures in the elderly people.
In this descriptive- correlational study, statistical population comprised of all elderly people in Tehran in 2017. The sample of this study included 215 elderly who were selected by purposive sampling method from nursing homes and a two stage cluster sampling method from Parks in Tehran City. In order to gathering data Cognitive failures questionnaire (CFQ) and Kentucky inventory mindfulness skill (KIMS) were used. In order to analyze data Pearson correlation coefficient and interactional multiple regression method were employed. The data were analyzed by SPSS version 23.
The results of Pearson correlation coefficient showed that there was a significant negative relationship between mindfulness and cognitive failures in elderly people. It was also found that all subscales of mindfulness (observe, describe, act with awareness and accept without judgment) had significant negative relationship with all components of cognitive failures (memory, distractibility, names and blunders).There was a positive significant relationship between education and mindfulness and its subscales. There was a negative significant relationship between education and cognitive failures and its components. The results of Moderated regression analyses showed that education can moderate the relationship between mindfulness and cognitive Failures in the elderly.
Based on the results of the present study, it can be concluded that the relationship between mindfulness and cognitive failures in elderly is not a simple linear association; it is influenced and moderated by education. The results of this study have significant educational and therapeutic implications about the importance of mindfulness and education in experiencing cognitive failures in the elderly.