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The effect of age and educational level on the cognitive processes used to comprehend the meaning of pictograms

Aging Clinical and Experimental Research volume 26, pages 61–65 (2014)Cite this article

Abstract

Background and aims

Pictograms, designed to be a universal communication system, are often created from several concrete and easily recognizable drawings. Does understanding depend on a logical approach? Or is it the ability to inhibit the concrete sense of each picture that allows access to a higher level of comprehension? (ability to abstract). These executive functions are sensitive to the effects of aging and educational level. The aim of our study was to evaluate the nature of the cognitive processes underlying the meaning of pictograms and to test the effect of aging and educational level.

Methods

We enrolled 19 older adults (60–69 years old) and 63 young adults (20–29 years old). Of these 63 young adults, 43 had a high educational level (Young-High participants), and 20 had a lower educational level (Young-Low participants). Each participant was asked the meaning of 20 pictograms and underwent an assessment of abstraction and logical abilities with WAIS-III test.

Results

Older adults had lower pictogram assessment scores and abstraction and logical abilities when compared with young adults. In both groups, abstraction and logical abilities were correlated with the interpretation of pictograms but only abstraction ability remains strongly correlated with pictogram comprehension in the older group after adjustment of sex, age and educational level. Consequently, the poorer performances of older adults to determine the meaning of pictograms could be explained by the decline of abstraction ability in elderly.

Conclusions

Pictograms are not the universal communication system as we formerly thought. Age and educational level may influence the performance in determining the meaning of pictograms.

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Affiliations

  1. Centre Mémoire de Ressources et de Recherche et Service de Médecine Interne Gériatrique, Hôpital Bretonneau, CHRU Tours, 37044, Tours, France

    Emilie Beaufils, Caroline Hommet & Karl Mondon

  2. Service de Médecine Interne Gériatrique, CHRU Tours, Tours, France

    Emilie Beaufils, Caroline Hommet, Charlotte Eudo, Thierry Constans & Karl Mondon

  3. INSERM U930, Université François Rabelais, Tours, France

    Caroline Hommet, Emilie Vierron & Karl Mondon

  4. Service de Neurologie, CHRU Tours, Tours, France

    Bertrand De Toffol

  5. Centre Mémoire de Ressources et de Recherche, Hôpital Bretonneau, CHRU Tours, 37044, Tours, France

    Florence Brault & Aurélie Marqué

Authors
  1. Emilie Beaufils
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  2. Caroline Hommet
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  3. Florence Brault
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  4. Aurélie Marqué
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  5. Charlotte Eudo
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  6. Emilie Vierron
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  7. Bertrand De Toffol
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  8. Thierry Constans
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  9. Karl Mondon
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Correspondence to Emilie Beaufils.

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Beaufils, E., Hommet, C., Brault, F. et al. The effect of age and educational level on the cognitive processes used to comprehend the meaning of pictograms. Aging Clin Exp Res 26, 61–65 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-013-0179-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-013-0179-6

Keywords

  • Pictograms
  • Executive functions
  • Aging
  • Education