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BackgroundIncreasing evidence has promoted the clinical utility of self-reported memory problems for detecting early impairment associated with Alzheimer disease (AD). However, previous studies investigating memory problems often conflated the types of problems (ie, retrospective and prospective) with their features (ie, frequency and consequences). This bias limits the specificity of traditional measures of memory problems and minimizes their ability to detect differential trajectories associated with cognitive decline. In this study, we use a novel measure of self-reported memory problems that uses daily reports of memory lapses to disentangle types from features for analyzing the impact of each dimension in two longitudinal data sets. Furthermore, this study explores the individual difference factors of age and gender as potential moderators of the relationships between self-reported memory lapses and objective cognitive decline. ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to describe the protocol for a secondary data analysis project that explores the relationship between experiences of daily memory lapses and their associations with cognitive decline in middle-aged and older adults. MethodsThis study uses multilevel, coordinated analyses across two measurement burst data sets to examine the links between features and consequences of memory lapses (retrospective and prospective) and their association with objective cognitive decline. This study’s sample (N=392; aged 50-85 years; n=254, 64.8% women) is drawn from two ongoing, nationally funded research studies: The Effects of Stress on Cognitive Aging, Physiology, and Emotion study and the Einstein Aging Study. Both studies assess the daily experience of memory lapses, including the type as well as the emotional and functional outcomes, and objective measures of cognition, such as processing speed and episodic memory. We will use multilevel modeling to test our conceptual model demonstrating that differences in frequency and types of memory lapses show differential trends in their relationships with cognitive decline and that these relationships vary by the age and gender of participants. ResultsThis project was funded in August 2019. The approval for secondary data analysis was given by the institutional review board in February 2020. Data analysis for this project has not yet started. ConclusionsThe early and accurate identification of individuals most at risk for cognitive decline is of paramount importance. Previous research exploring self-reported memory problems and AD is promising; however, limitations in measurement may explain previous reports of inconsistences. This study addresses these concerns by examining daily reports of memory lapses, how these vary by age and gender, and their relationship with objective cognitive performance. Overall, this study aims to identify the key features of daily memory lapses and the differential trajectories that best predict cognitive decline to help inform future AD risk screening tools. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/25233

Guided by intersectional multimodal literacy frameworks and analytic methods, this qualitative study explored how seven high-achieving Black undergraduate women's photo essays visually and textually represented their persistence during the COVID-19 pandemic. Photo essays, in this context, are intersectional multimodal compositions that use images and words to articulate the challenges that the women faced during COVID-19 and the resources that promoted their persistence. Data sources included a demographic questionnaire, the women's digital photo essays, and lengthy photo-elicitation interviews with the women on Zoom. Findings reveal that the women's photo essays evoked an endarkened persistence, rooted in the legacy of Black people's collective struggle and survival, and represented by two interrelated themes: Affirming Black Beauty (i.e., Embracing natural Black hair and Caring for Black female bodies) and Honoring the Spirit (i.e., (Re)connecting with sistafriends, (Re)claiming rest, and Nurturing creativity). Research and practical implications are discussed.

In this column, we expand the concept of Black Livingness as a lens to evaluate and select African American children's literature., Decades of research have proven that children's literate lives are enhanced, expanded, and enlivened with exposure to and engagement with diverse literature. Specifically, picturebooks by and about African Americans, who [...]

In 2019 the University of Missouri Athletics (Mizzou Athletics) tweeted an image of student athletes as part of their "I am" campaign. While the two white student athletes are defined with captions stating the certainty of their future careers, the Black students are defined by their racial identity and current values. The Mizzou tweet demonstrates how collegiate sports programs at PWIs reflect white patriarchal systems that seek to control the futures of Black women student-athletes like Arielle Mack. Throughout this paper we, two Black women literacy scholars, present a critical re-telling of Arielle's story for her future, which she narrated through a series of visual images and words. Specifically, we frame Arielle's "multimodal counterstory" with two reflective questions in mind: (1) What did Arielle have to say in response to the Mizzou tweet? and (2) How, if given the chance, might she have represented herself and her future differently?

Purpose: This paper aims to demonstrate how Alayah, a 16-year-old African American girl, leverages multiple expressive modes for intersectional self-representation as speculative design. Here, speculative design refers to a multimodal composition (i.e. digital collage) which leverages multiple expressive modes for intersectional self-celebration in possible futures. Design/methodology/approach: Informed by intersectional multimodal literacy frameworks and analyses, this paper addresses the question, "How does Alayah represent her college and career futures in her speculative multimodal design? To address this question, the author analyzed Alayah's digital collage using an intersectional multimodal analysis template complemented by a thematic analysis of her interview data and the narrated explanation of her collage. Findings: In a speculative design composed of 15 images and words, Alayah agentively determined and critically celebrated her intersectional college and career futures through four interrelated themes: Black girl affirmation; Collegiate success; "Sweet" work; and Black livingness. Originality/value: By centering Black girls' speculative multimodal designs in college and career curricula, ELA educators (re)imagine college and career pedagogies to critically celebrate Black adolescent girls as intelligent, empowered and literate young women worthy of the futures that they desire.