Multidimensional motivation in aging: a person-centred framework spanning goal-directed behaviour, social reward and pleasure

Researchers introduced MotDem, a new measurement tool for assessing motivation in older adults, developed in collaboration with people living with dementia, caregivers, and clinical experts. A study on a sample of adults aged 18 to 80 years revealed that motivation has three main domains: goal-directed behaviour, social reward, and pleasure, with a fourth satiety factor retained as exploratory. This structure was confirmed in an independent group of older adults aged 45 to 80 years from a different national context. MotDem shows strong convergence with existing measures of apathy and anhedonia. The findings demonstrate that motivational changes in aging are multifaceted and cannot be adequately captured by traditional unitary assessment tools. This new framework has implications for resilience, wellbeing, and the risk of neurodegenerative diseases.