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A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of - Queen Margaret University

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education that an <strong>in</strong>dividual experiences the more learn<strong>in</strong>g skills they acquire.<br />

The f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gs are also possibly consistent with the assertion that the more<br />

education <strong>in</strong>dividuals experience leads to more complex and greater neuronal<br />

patterns pre-morbidly, which may be less easily destroyed when damaged (see<br />

section 2.5). However bra<strong>in</strong>-scann<strong>in</strong>g techniques would be required to provide<br />

evidence for this hypo<strong>thesis</strong>.<br />

6.3.1.3 The impact <strong>of</strong> cognitive reserve on the learn<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> new vocabulary<br />

Interest<strong>in</strong>gly, qualitative exam<strong>in</strong>ation <strong>of</strong> the employment experience <strong>of</strong><br />

participants appeared to reflect participants’ learn<strong>in</strong>g performance. With the<br />

exception <strong>of</strong> C3, participants with employment requir<strong>in</strong>g more specialist skills<br />

such as pharmacy, eng<strong>in</strong>eer<strong>in</strong>g and managerial posts appeared to demonstrate<br />

more success at learn<strong>in</strong>g the new words than participants who experienced less<br />

skilled employment, such as factory work and homemak<strong>in</strong>g. However these<br />

highly skilled participants have also experienced more education therefore more<br />

complex occupations may reflect long-term <strong>in</strong>tellectual experiences result<strong>in</strong>g<br />

from education rather than employment status itself be<strong>in</strong>g a prognostic factor <strong>in</strong><br />

learn<strong>in</strong>g new vocabulary.<br />

Another possible explanation could be related to the hypothetical cognitive<br />

reserve discussed <strong>in</strong> Chapter 2 (see section 2.6.1.3). Although not statistically<br />

analysed <strong>in</strong> the ma<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong>vestigation, qualitative data <strong>in</strong>dicates some <strong>in</strong>terest<strong>in</strong>g<br />

f<strong>in</strong>d<strong>in</strong>gs. Two <strong>of</strong> the factors thought to <strong>in</strong>fluence and accumulate cognitive<br />

reserve are education and occupational levels. The type <strong>of</strong> occupation pursued<br />

by an <strong>in</strong>dividual is thought to contribute significantly to their non-verbal<br />

reason<strong>in</strong>g (Staff et al., 2004) and complex occupations are thought to require<br />

cont<strong>in</strong>u<strong>in</strong>g education and susta<strong>in</strong>ed <strong>in</strong>tellectual engagement, requir<strong>in</strong>g mental<br />

effort and learn<strong>in</strong>g the ability to conceptualise problems (Stern, 2003).<br />

Additionally, both occupation and education are thought to act as reserves for<br />

verbal memory. Those participants who had experienced more education (13<br />

242

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