CBS News (10/22, Castillo) reports on its website that, according to a study in the journal Psychological Science, performing a task that is completely unfamiliar and mentally challenging, as opposed to completing puzzles, may be a better way to improve seniors’ memory. The study examined 221 people between the ages of 60 and 90, in which one group would learn a new skill (quilting, digital photography, or both), while another other group performed mentally stimulating activities they were used to, like puzzles, and a third group was asked to perform social activities. Researchers noted that at the end of the study, the group that learned something new showed greatest memory skill improvements.
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— “Learning new skill beats puzzles for boosting seniors’ memory, “Michelle Castillo, CBS News, October 21, 2013.