ABSTRACT. The association between aspects of social participation and components of cognitive functioning and the ability of these aspects to predict cognitive performance was studies in an age and gender stratified sample of 116 individuals aged 65 to 89 years in The Netherlands. Measures of social participation included questionnaires on societal participation, socio-cultural activities and media use. Cognitive functioning was measured by tests of fluid intelligence, processing speed, word learning and recall, and everyday memory. All aspects of social participation showed significant bivariate correlations with all components of cognitive functioning. Independant of age, gender, education and functional limitations, societal participation and socio-cultural activities contributed significantly to the prediction of processing speed. Societal participation also contributed to the prediction of delayed recall. Tendencies of independant association were apparent between both societal participation and socio-cultural activities and word learning. No aspects of social participation independently predicted fluid intelligence or everyday memory. The evidence suggests independent associations between environmental stimulation and basic components of cognitive functioning, such as information-processing speed and measures of learning and delayed recall. Further research needs to clarify the process underlying the causal relation between cognitive functioning and forms of participation.
