A short-term intervention to enhance cognitive and affective functioning in older adults

Objective: This study was designed to investigate the benefits of a short-term intervention for older adults that targeted cognitive functioning and quality of life issues important for independent living. Method: One hundred twenty-four community-dwelling participants (aged 60 to 86) took part in one of three study conditions: theater arts (primary intervention), visual arts (non-content-specific comparison group), and no-treatment controls. Results: After 4 weeks of instruction, those given theater training made significantly greater gains than did no-treatment controls on both cognitive and psychological well-being measures. A comparison of theater and visual arts training showed fewer benefits in fewer areas for visual arts. Discussion: The authors suggest reasons why various aspects of theater training appear to enhance healthy aging.