Measuring the Effects of Acculturation on Different Types of Memory in Spanish Speaker

Studies show that minorities are more likely to be misdiagnosed as neuropsychologically impaired than non-Hispanic whites due to artificially depressed neuropsychological test scores (Arentoft et al., 2012). One aspect to consider as a possible factor is acculturation (Arentoft et al., 2012). Acculturation is the process of psychological and behavioral changes that occur due to prolonged contact with another culture (Zea et al., 2003). Previous studies have found acculturation into U.S (dominant) culture is correlated with better neuropsychological performance on a variety of neuropsychological realms, such as information processing (Razani et al., 2007) and working memory (Coffey et al., 2005). Latinxs are a growing population in the U.S, increasing by 1,131,766 between 2015 and 2016 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2017). Therefore, it is important to recognize any effects that acculturation may have on Latinx individuals as findings can help assess, treat and diagnose this rapidly expanding population. The present study will look at the effects of acculturation on different types of memory in Spanish speakers by correlating performance on neuropsychological assessments of working, prospective and autobiographical memory as well as future thought with degree of US acculturation