Effectiveness of life-long learning in successful ageing: designing education interventions to improve social networks and prevent cognitive decline

The proposed study will attempt a) to construct a biopsychosocial model of cognitive decline by investigating biological and social information from The English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA; Steptoe, Breeze, Banks, & Nazroo, 2013) and b) design a lifelong learning program.

The main research questions are:
-How can learning in later life contribute to successful ageing?
-What influences seniors to be more motivated and engaged in learning?
-What are the barriers to lifelong learning?
-Are those with lower education less likely to participate in a lifelong learning program than those who are more educated?
-Will education in later life yield similar benefits with typical education in early adulthood?