EDUCATION, SOCIAL NETWORKS, AND COGNITION IN CROSS-NATIONAL CONTEXT
2024

Education, Social Networks, and Cognition in Different Countries

Sample size: 71977 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Iveniuk James, Schafer Markus, Sun Haosen

Hypothesis

How does education influence cognition through social networks across different national contexts?

Conclusion

More education is linked to better cognitive function and larger social networks, but the impact varies by country.

Supporting Evidence

  • More education is associated with better cognition across all countries studied.
  • Education is positively linked to social network size and negatively linked to proportion of kin.
  • Network size generally correlates positively with cognition.

Takeaway

People who go to school longer tend to have more friends and think better, but this can be different depending on where they live.

Methodology

Data from two large surveys were analyzed to explore the relationship between education, social networks, and cognition.

Limitations

The proportion mediated by network size was small, and there were fewer indirect effects with proportion kin.

Participant Demographics

Older adults from various countries, with a focus on education levels.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1093/geroni/igae098.1536

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