Cognitive ageing Flashcards
What are fluid skills?
the core cognitive mechanisms such as working memory, processing speed and fluid intelligence
What is the symbol for fluid skills?
Gf
What are crystallised skills?
skills that are acquired in a social environment
e.g verbal bzailtity, knowledge of facts, numeracy
What is the symbol for crystallised skills?
Gc
What does the ‘G’ stand for?
general intelligence
What is the correlation between overall cognitive ability and academic achievement?
0.81
What is the g factor (General intelligence) positively associated with?
better health and longevity
What is cognitive decline?
loss of cognitive performance due to chronological ageing
Which skills show less of s steep decline?
Gc skills decline less steep than Gf skills
Why is cognitive decline difficult to predict?
data is limited
need a large sample of ppts and multiple repeats measures over time
cognitive decline may also be an intrinsically random phenomenon
What is the most common type of dementia?
Alzheimer’s disease
Does cognitive decline cause dementia?
No, but part of same phenomenon
What factors affect our cognitive abilities?
fixed factors like genomes
accidental factors like head injury
diet and lifestyle
How many IQ points does one more year of schooling give you?
1-5 additional IQ points
What effect does education have on dementia?
a non-specific effect
factors like obesity, air pollution increase chance of developing dementia by causing brain damage
these factors can be linked to dementia
