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Education and Cognitive Functioning Across the Life Span
Lövdén M, Fratiglioni L, Glymour MM, Lindenberger U, Tucker-Drob EM.. Psychological science in the public interest : a journal of the American Psychological Society, 2020-08-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
The number of years of formal education completed by individuals is positively correlated with their cognitive function throughout adulthood and predicts lower risk of dementia late in life. In line with the first proposition, the evidence indicates that educational attainment has positive effects on cognitive function. We also find evidence that cognitive abilities are associated with selection into longer durations of education and that there are common factors (e.g., parental socioeconomic resources) that affect both educational attainment and cognitive development. We conclude that educational attainment exerts its influences on late-life cognitive function primarily by contributing to individual differences in cognitive skills that emerge in early adulthood but persist into older age.
Key findings
- The number of years of formal education completed by individuals is positively correlated with their cognitive function throughout adulthood and predicts lower risk of dementia late in life.
- In line with the first proposition, the evidence indicates that educational attainment has positive effects on cognitive function.
- We also find evidence that cognitive abilities are associated with selection into longer durations of education and that there are common factors (e.g., parental socioeconomic resources) that affect both educational attainment and cognitive development.
- We conclude that educational attainment exerts its influences on late-life cognitive function primarily by contributing to individual differences in cognitive skills that emerge in early adulthood but persist into older age.
Why it matters
This review found that more years of formal education are linked to better cognitive function throughout adulthood and to lower risk of dementia late in life. It describes an association and does not test any treatment, cure, or prevention.
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Study details
- Study designmeta-analysis
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 72/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a meta-analysis pooling many studies. Scored zero for sample size, effect reported and studied in people because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Psychological science in the public interest : a journal of the American Psychological Society) |
| Journal's citation record | 0 / 4 | Psychological Science in the Public Interest: journal h-index 11 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 12 / 12 | A meta-analysis pooling many studies |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 2 / 5 | 2020 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | A review of other studies — randomisation is not credited here |
| Times cited | 7 / 7 | Cited 1,225 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 5 / 5 | 153.1 citations a year over 8 year(s) since 2020 |
| Impact for its field and year | 6 / 6 | Cited 72.7× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 3 / 6 | Cited by 23 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 4 / 4 | Cited 771 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Elliot M. Tucker–Drob: h-index 73 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 2 / 3 | University College London: institution h-index 2,029 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 8 institution(s) in 4 countries |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 32772803) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 72 / 100 | — |
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Read the original
- DOI: 10.1177/1529100620920576
- PubMed: 32772803
- Original source →
- Free full text: Psychological Science in the Public Interest →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Lövdén, M., Fratiglioni, L., Glymour, M. M., Lindenberger, U., & Tucker-Drob, E. M. (2020). Education and Cognitive Functioning Across the Life Span. Psychological science in the public interest : a journal of the American Psychological Society. https://doi.org/10.1177/1529100620920576
Vancouver
Lövdén M, Fratiglioni L, Glymour MM, Lindenberger U, Tucker-Drob EM. Education and Cognitive Functioning Across the Life Span. Psychological science in the public interest : a journal of the American Psychological Society. 2020. doi:10.1177/1529100620920576. PMID: 32772803.
BibTeX
@article{lovden2020-32772803,
author = {Lövdén, M. and Fratiglioni, L. and Glymour, M. M. and Lindenberger, U. and Tucker-Drob, E. M.},
title = {{Education and Cognitive Functioning Across the Life Span}},
journal = {Psychological science in the public interest : a journal of the American Psychological Society},
year = {2020},
doi = {10.1177/1529100620920576},
pmid = {32772803},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1177/1529100620920576}
}
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