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Memory and executive functioning show differential associations with scam susceptibility in middle to older adulthood
Molinare CP, Zhang BY, Sanderson-Cimino M, Leguizamon M, Oyen E, Noriega-Makarskyy DT, Axelrod J, Lim AC et al.. medRxiv, 2026-10-06
Topic: Brain imaging, connectivity and assessment
Prior work has demonstrated a link between cognitive impairment and financial vulnerability. Results Lower UDS-M+ (b= -0.25, 95% CI [-0.45, -0.04], p = .018) and lower UDS3-EF (b= - 0.33, 95% CI [-0.54, -0.12], p = .002) scores were independently associated with greater scam susceptibility after adjusting for age, sex, years of education, and income. However, only UDS3-EF remained significant in a joint model. Post hoc analyses revealed that only memory was associated with scam susceptibility in middle-aged adults whereas only executive functioning was significant in older adults. Conclusions These findings highlight the importance of monitoring memory and executive functioning across middle to older adulthood when considering susceptibility to scams. Main Findings After adjusting for age, sex, education, and income, memory (b= -0.25, 95% CI [-0.45, -0.04], p = .018) and executive functioning (b= -0.33, 95% CI [-0.54, -0.12], p = .002) each demonstrated an independent inverse association with scam susceptibility. In a joint model, only executive functioning was associated with scam susceptibility. When comparing age groups, only memory was significant in middle age while only executive functioning was significant in older adults. Study Contributions These results extend prior research by clarifying the unique contributions of memory and executive functioning to financial vulnerability and suggesting there may be differences in the cognitive processes used for financial decision making across stages of older adulthood.
Key findings
- Prior work has demonstrated a link between cognitive impairment and financial vulnerability.
- Results Lower UDS-M+ (b= -0.25, 95% CI [-0.45, -0.04], p = .018) and lower UDS3-EF (b= - 0.33, 95% CI [-0.54, -0.12], p = .002) scores were independently associated with greater scam susceptibility after adjusting for age, sex, years of education, and income.
- However, only UDS3-EF remained significant in a joint model.
- Post hoc analyses revealed that only memory was associated with scam susceptibility in middle-aged adults whereas only executive functioning was significant in older adults.
- Conclusions These findings highlight the importance of monitoring memory and executive functioning across middle to older adulthood when considering susceptibility to scams.
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Study details
- Effect size72.2%
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 16/100
Preprint — not yet peer-reviewed. It scored 24 on the same rubric, but non-peer-reviewed sources are capped at 16, so it shows as 16. Scored zero for study design, sample size, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record and multi-centre collaboration, so those were left out: it earned 15 of the 62 points we could judge it on, which is 24 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 2 / 10 | Tier 4 — not a peer-reviewed journal (medRxiv) |
| Journal's citation record | 0 / 4 | Not a journal article, so the journal's record does not count |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 4 / 10 | Preprint — not yet peer-reviewed. Hosted on a preprint server. |
| How recent | 5 / 5 | 2026 — within 1 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 | 2 / 3 | Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test |
| 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 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 1 / 2 | Not in PubMed, but has a DOI |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 15 / 62 | Scored on 12 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 15 of the 62 points we could judge it on is 24 out of 100. |
| Total | 24 / 100 | Capped to 16 because this is not a peer-reviewed article. |
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APA 7th
Molinare, C. P., Zhang, B. Y., Sanderson-Cimino, M., Leguizamon, M., Oyen, E., Noriega-Makarskyy, D. T., et al. (2026). Memory and executive functioning show differential associations with scam susceptibility in middle to older adulthood. medRxiv. https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.10.04.26364617
Vancouver
Molinare CP, Zhang BY, Sanderson-Cimino M, Leguizamon M, Oyen E, Noriega-Makarskyy DT, et al. Memory and executive functioning show differential associations with scam susceptibility in middle to older adulthood. medRxiv. 2026. doi:10.64898/2026.10.04.26364617.
BibTeX
@article{molinare2026-7e7e3fbf,
author = {Molinare, C. P. and Zhang, B. Y. and Sanderson-Cimino, M. and Leguizamon, M. and Oyen, E. and Noriega-Makarskyy, D. T. and Axelrod, J. and Lim, A. C. and others},
title = {{Memory and executive functioning show differential associations with scam susceptibility in middle to older adulthood}},
journal = {medRxiv},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.64898/2026.10.04.26364617},
url = {https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.10.04.26364617}
}