ageing Flashcards
changing demographics
there are currently more pensioner in Britain than children under 16
life expectancy
average number of years remaining where average is median
higher for women than for men
methodology
quasi experiments are used such as cross sectional , longitudinal and sequential
cross sectional
involves using different groups of people who differ in age - observational study
cross sectional advantages
relatively quick and inexpensive
wide age range- powerful
cross sectional disadvantages
between subjects comparison - high variability
measures differences between age groups not changes over time
survivor problems
reflect cohort effects- education
longitudinal study
uses the same participants but tests them at different times
longitudinal advantages
measures age changes
within subject comparisons
longitudinal disadvantages
time consuming and expensive
results may reflect period effects
practice effects
sequential designs
combines cross sectional and longitudinal approaches
sequential design advantages
helps separate effects of age , period and cohort effects
shows whether changes experienced by one cohort are similar to those experienced by other cohort
sequential design disadvantages
complex
time consuming
expensive
sensory changes
baltes+ lindenberger
vision declines as age increases
hearing declines as age increases
Brain changes
gradual degeneration of nervous system
loss of neurons
diminished functioning of the remming neurons
dementia
reduced blood flow to the Brain
declining levels of neurotransmitters
older brains
typically process info more slowly
brain volume
hedden+ gabrielli
lateral prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and visual cortex declines as you age but at different rates
how to test intellectual changes
recall memory test
pattern comparison - speed
ravens reasoning - puzzle piece
vocabulary test - closest meaning
procedural memory
well practiced skills
semantic memory
general factual knowledge
episodic
memory for episodes
what type of LTM is affected as you age
episodic
factors affecting ageing
gender
social activity
physical fitness
mental activity
gender
females tend to longer than males
social activity
holt- lunstad - meta analysis
the better your social relationships the longer you live
social support , complex measures of social integration
physical fitness
helps maintain cognitive abilities
mental activity
Brain training
