Lecture 3

Question 1

Light 1992

Answer 1

Change with age as a mosaic of spared and impaired abilities is a multi dimensional process

Question 2

Two factors theory of intelligence horn and cattell 1967

Answer 2

1) fluid intelligence able to be flexible and adaptive ability to respond to novel situations
Baltes “the mechanisms of intelligence” requires effort for processing and attention (impaired ability)
2) Crystallised abilities (cattell 1987) knowledge is learned through life
Baltes “the pragmatics of intelligence”
Forshaw 1994 operative with some showing gains into 70s and 80s
fromhalt 2003 only declined very late in life but result of disease not normal ageing process

Question 3

Crystallised cognitive abilities 1-3

Answer 3

1) General knowledge (Kauffman) semantic memory increases why middle-aged are better at quizzes
2) verbal memory vocabulary (Kaufman 1989) increase in verbal scale of WAIS
3) numerical ability (Jones and Conrad 1993) arithmetical Reasoning increases. Maths drill vs rehearsal, cohort effects

Question 4

Crystallised abilities 4-5

Answer 4

4) autobiographical memory (fromholt 2003) Memory for life events is preserved for centenarians, rehearsal. 5 mins/60 year’s

5) Prospective memory
- Event based prospective memory - remember to buy milk
- Timebased prospective memory -remember to check blood pressure regularly
Older worse in the lab but not an everyday life as have external aids

Question 5

Crystallised abilities 6-8

Answer 5

6) Automatic tasks (Jacoby 1999) practice automises tasks which then require few additional resources
- 77% of UK employers concerned will lose valuable knowledge and skills when older people retire
7) Recognition memory e.g. faces is preserved
8) Implicit memory (subconsciously acquired) is preserved
- older people perform better in familiar contexts (Park 2000)

Question 6

Factors associated with maintained cognitive health

Answer 6

Good physical health
good education
complex job
psychosocial variables

Question 7

Psychosocial factors and maintained cognitive health

Answer 7

• Personality and attitude towards ageing is related to all abilities as we age (levy 2002)
• Low perceived control linked to memory and physical problems, less likely to use strategies or preservative behaviours
• Positive attitudes translate into better memory physical ability increased hearing and increased life (levy 2006)

Question 8

Psychosocial factors and maintained cognitive health continued

Answer 8

• Negative stereotypes promote prejudice, attitudes and behaviours and maybe a public health issue
• Stereotype busting attitudes being able to change with the times acceptance of change

Engagement in social-cognitive abilities (clubs education)

Question 9

Growth and social and emotional processing more crystallised knowledge

Answer 9

• Memory for emotional material Carstenson 2003 participants read and recall text, young increased info, emotional material is more with the order age
• Older adults have increased emotional regulation strategies (Blanchard-fields et al 95)
• Better able to regulate emotions (gross et al 1997)

Question 10

Growth and social and emotional processing more crystallised knowledge continued

Answer 10

• increased empathy and social tolerance (Weiner and Graham 1989)
• Better at solving complex moral social and emotional problems ( Baltes and Staudinger 1993)

Question 11

Appear to show declines in other aspects of emotional processing

Answer 11

• Decreased accurate labelling expressions of sadness fear and anger
• Decreased accuracy labelling of negative emotions from pictures of eyes (Phillips 02)
• report lower levels of emotional intensity in sad faces (Phillips and Allen 2004)

Question 12

Appear to show declines in other aspects of emotional processing NOT THAT CANT INTERPRET

Answer 12

Seems to be a processing bias rather than decline
- it’s not that they can’t feel sad emotions but older people selectively attend positive emotional memories and selectivity to play down emotions (Carstensen et al 2003)

• supported by self reports of decreased anxiety and depression and increased calm and security with increased sense of self efficiency
• socio emotional selectively theory

Question 13

Socio-emotional selectivity theory (carstensen et al 1995, 2003)

Answer 13

Old people are motivated to maintain a positive effect to balance SE in face of declines
- thus attend to and remember positive material and pay less attention to negative material that

-helps them to control and regulate emotions and a reason why older people report more on the emotional regulation strategies

Question 14

Additional components of the SEST

Answer 14

• Young adults have future oriented goals as the future is broad they seek new information people experiences
• Present goals are more important to old people as narrow future so they want to increase positive emotions consistent with disengaged theory

Question 15

Getting the balance right

Answer 15

Want to withdraw to increase positive experiences if this is taken too far close self off

Way to combat this is to try new things with family

Question 16

Further increased abilities

Answer 16

Occupational decision-making Perlmutter 1990 increases with age

Creativity increases with age as more time swansong phenomenal