Beauty and Wellness in the Semantic Memory of the Beholder

Abstract

Beauty and wellness are terms used often in common parlance, however their meaning and relation to each other is unclear. To probe their meaning, we applied network science methods to estimate and compare the semantic networks associated with beauty and wellness in different age generation cohorts (Generation Z, Millennials, Generation X, and Baby Boomers) and in women and men. These mappings were achieved by estimating group-based semantic networks from free association responses to a list of 47 words, either related to Beauty, Wellness, or Beauty + Wellness. Beauty was consistently related to Elegance, Feminine, Gorgeous, Lovely, Sexy, and Stylish. Wellness was consistently related Aerobics, Fitness, Health, Holistic, Lifestyle, Medical, Nutrition, and Thrive. In addition, older cohorts had semantic networks that were less connected and more segregated from each other. Finally, we found that women compared to men had more segregated and organized concepts of Beauty and Wellness. In contemporary societies that are pre-occupied by the pursuit of beauty and a healthy lifestyle, our findings shed novel light on how people think about beauty and wellness and how they are related across different age generations and by sex.

Age differences in semantic network structure: Acquiring knowledge shapes semantic memory.

“…Wulff, Hills, and Mata (2022), for example, estimated semantic memory networks from verbal fluency responses of younger and older adults from three separate studies. Semantic memory networks of older adults were found to have fewer connections, were less robust, and less efficient compared to younger adults—consistent with other network studies on aging (Cosgrove et al, 2021; Dubossarsky et al, 2017; Kenett et al, 2021; Wulff et al, 2019). Extending the aggregated results of age-related differences in network structure, individual differences were calculated from semantic similarity ratings (Wulff, Hills, & Mata, 2022).…”

“…In one such study, Wulff et al calculated individual semantic networks using semantic similarity ratings (Wulff et al, 2018). Though these network measures were consistent with group findings (Cosgrove et al, 2021; Dubossarsky et al, 2017; Kenett et al, 2021; Wulff et al, 2019; Zortea et al, 2014), older adult semantic memory networks were not as generalizable across individuals as younger semantic memory networks. While they did not relate these structural differences to cognitive behavior, the greater variance among older adults in the similarity ratings was likely related to differences in life experiences and acquired knowledge (Wulff et al, 2019; Wulff, Hills, & Mata, 2022).…”

“…The intersection of aging and semantics provides an excellent case for examining differences in network structure, as vocabularies grow throughout adulthood, thereby changing semantic memory organization (e.g., Burke & Shafto, 2008). Moreover, cognitive network science research has shown age-related structural differences, suggesting that semantic memory organization is less efficient, more segregated, and less interconnected in older adults, compared to younger adults (Cosgrove et al, 2021; Dubossarsky et al, 2017; Kenett et al, 2021; Wulff et al, 2019; Wulff, De Deyne, Aeschbach, et al, 2022; Wulff, Hills, & Mata, 2022). Moreover, assessing individual differences in semantic memory structure is particularly important among older adults who often show increased variability.…”

“…Semantic memory network analyses have been utilized across various research areas—creativity, language acquisition, clinical populations, and in healthy aging (Castro et al, 2020; Kenett & Faust, 2019b; Steyvers & Tenenbaum, 2005; Wulff et al, 2019). Previous work that focused on semantic memory networks and aging suggests that with increased age, semantic memory becomes less efficient, organized, and connected (Cosgrove et al, 2021; Dubossarsky et al, 2017; Kenett et al, 2021; Wulff et al, 2019; Wulff, De Deyne, Aeschbach, et al, 2022; Wulff, Hills, & Mata, 2022).…”

“…To build on previous group-level studies, we adopt an individual differences approach which better captures age-related variability, allowing a direct link between network measures and cognitive abilities. Previous research suggests that older adults’ semantic memory networks are more separated, more segregated, and more variable (Cosgrove et al, 2021; Dubossarsky et al, 2017; Kenett et al, 2021; Wulff et al, 2019; Wulff, Hills, & Mata, 2022). However, network research often relies on group averages, and it remains unclear if individual-based semantic network measures influence language production abilities related to aging.…”