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Self-Confidence Leads To Unstoppable Mind Drive

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Jun 4, 2008 9:52 pm US/Eastern

Self-Confidence Leads To Unstoppable Mind Drive

As people get older, looking for ways to stay mentally sharp performing tasks from crossword puzzles to playing video games, a new study suggests confidence building could improve one's life. 

University of Florida researchers have developed a new training program designed to keep older minds fit.  Results suggest that placing a strong emphasis on boosting older adults' confidence in their memory would seem to help improve memory ability itself.  Researchers write their results seem to prove the common sense theory that a loss of confidence can impact memory recall abilities.

Psychologist Robin West of the University of Florida said, "You'll think about every mistake and say 'does this mean I have Alzheimer's disease?' And you will then be fearful about taking on memory challenges, which is the exact opposite of what you should do.  People who maintain memory challenge perform better."

In fact, researchers could accurately predict final test scores for many elderly in the program based in part on their level of confidence. But experts say you can't focus on just one task or puzzle to keep a mind sharp.  They suggest a variety of exercises ranging from simple word games and compiling lists to the traditional crossword puzzles or Sudoku games.

West added,  "But what we've found in our research is that memory is very complicated; it's complex, and there are different aspects of memory and cognition and if you want to stay sharper overall, you need to challenge yourself in multiple ways."

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