Research Symposium
26th annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, April 1, 2026
Daniela Melamed Poster Session 3: 1:45 pm - 2:45 pm / Poster #194
BIO
Daniela Melamed is a first-year Biological Sciences student at Florida State University, who is originally from San Francisco, California. Aside from research, she is involved in Alpha Epsilon Delta, a pre-health honors society, and Dance Marathon, a fundraising organization for Children's Miracle Network hospitals. After her time at FSU, she hopes to attend graduate school back in California and continue to develop a career in the medical field.
Beyond the Chronological Age: Subjective Age, L2 Motivation, and Perceived Working Memory Among People Aged Over 60 years old
Authors: Daniela Melamed, Wenxiao LiStudent Major: Biological Sciences
Mentor: Wenxiao Li
Mentor's Department: School of Teacher Education Mentor's College: College of Arts and Sciences Co-Presenters: Alexandra Solitario, Seth Ingersoll, Colton Leavell
Abstract
While Second Language Acquisition (SLA) research increasingly focuses on non-WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic) populations, studies of older learners are often based on chronological age alone. This study challenges that convention by investigating age identity (one’s subjective sense of age) as a more accurate indicator of L2 motivation and cognitive perception. Using a mixed-methods design, researchers surveyed 120 L2 learners (aged 60+) from China and the United States. The study measured the relationship between age identity, the L2 Motivational Self System (Ideal, Ought-to, and Anti-ought-to selves), and perceived working memory. Quantitative regression analysis was complemented by semi-structured interviews to capture cultural variations in the aging process. Key findings indicate that age identity outperformed chronological age in predicting both L2 motivation and perceived working memory. Qualitative data further revealed that cultural factors significantly influence how elderly learners manage cognitive challenges and maintain motivation. By advocating for a shift from chronological to subjective age, this paper contributes to the goals of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDID) in SLA. It emphasizes the need for nuanced, less standardized approaches to adult education that recognize the psychological diversity of the third age stage learner.
Keywords: L2 Motivation, Age Identity, Learning