An overview of the literature of aging and cognitive processes is presented, with emphasis on the areas of psychometric measurement of intelligence, qualitative interpretations of adult thinking, and the speed and timing of behavior. It is argued that the study of psychometric intelligence has gone through four distinct phases, reflecting an expanding data base and an evolving theoretical orientation and methodology. Contemporary research on aging and intelligence continues to be undertaken from at least three of the four perspectives. Qualitative and quantitative approaches to cognition have both provided evidence for increased integration in the thinking of older people, although the two approaches have different conceptualizations of integration. There is extensive evidence to support the contention that the speed of behavior slows with age, and the slowing affects efficiency of behavior rather than simply causing the response to occur more slowly. Cognition in aging includes great diversity, ranging from senility to wisdom.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Baltes, P. B.1968"Longitudinal and cross-sectional sequences in the study of age and generation effect."Human Development11: 145-171.
2.
Baltes, P. B.
and L. R. Goulet1971"Exploration of developmental variables by manipulation and simulation of age differences in behavior."Human Development14: 149-170.
3.
Baltes, P. B.
and K. W. Schaie1976"On the plasticity of intelligence in adulthood and old age: where Horn and Donaldson fail."Amer. Psychologist31: 720-725.
4.
Baltes, P. B.
, S. W. Cornelius, A. Spiro, J. R. Nesselroade, and S. L. Willis1980"Integration versus differentiation of fluid/crystallized intelligence in old age."Developmental Psychology16: 625-635.
5.
Birren, J. E.1965"Age changes in speed of behavior: its central nature and physiological correlates," in A. T. Welford and J. E. Birren (eds.) Behavior, Aging and the Nervous system. Springfield, IL: Charles C Thomas.
6.
1969"Age and decision strategies," in A. T. Welford and J. E. Birren (eds.) Decision Making and Age. Basel: Karger.
7.
Botwinick, J.
and I. C. Siegler1980"Intellectual ability among the elderly: simultaneous cross-sectional and longitudinal comparisons."Developmental Psychology16: 49-53.
8.
Cicirelli, V. G.1976"Categorization behavior in aging."J. of Gerontology31: 676-680.
9.
Cunningham, W. R.1980"Age comparative factor analysis of ability variables in adulthood and old age."Intelligence4: 133-149.
10.
Cunningham, W. R.
and J. E. Birren1981"Age changes in the factor structure of intellectual abilities in adulthood and old age."Educ. and Psych. Measurement.
11.
Dennis, W.1966"Creative productivity between the ages of 20 and 80 years."J. of Gerontology21: 1-8.
12.
Erikson, E. H.1963Childhood and Society. New York: Norton.
13.
Ford, J. M.
, R. F. Hink, W. F. Hopkins, W. T. Roth, A. Pfefferbaum, and B. S. Kopell1979"Age effects on event-related potentials in a selective attention task."J. of Gerontology34: 388-395.
14.
Hicks, L. H.
and J. E. Birren1976"Aging, brain damage and psychomotor slowing."Psych. Bull.74: 377-396.
15.
Hillyard, S. A.
, R. F. Hink, V. L. Schwent, and T. W. Picton1973"Electrical signs of selective attention in the human brain."Science172: 1357-1360.
16.
Hooper, F.
, Fitzgerald, J., and Papalia, D. E.1971"Piagetian theory and the aging process: extension and speculations."Aging and Human Development2: 3-20.
17.
Horn, J. L.
and Cattell, R. B.1967"Age differences in fluid and crystallized intelligence."Acta Psychologica26: 107-129.
18.
Hornblum, J. N.
and Overton, W. F.1976"Area and volume conservation among the elderly: assessment and training."Developmental Psychology12: 68-74.
19.
Kogan, N.1974"Categorizing and conceptualizing styles in younger and older adults."Human Development17: 218-230.
20.
Kramer, D. A.
and D. S. Woodruff forthcoming "Categorization and metaphoric processing in young and older adults."
21.
Labouvie-Vief, G.1977"Adult cognitive development: in search of alternative interpretations."Merril-Palmer Q. 23: 227-263.
22.
Larsson, T.
, T. Sjogren, and G. Jacobson1963"Senile dementia."Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica Supplementum39 (Supp. 167): 1-259.
23.
Lehman, H. C.1953Age and Achievement. Princeton, NJ: Princeton Univ. Press.
24.
Papalia, D. E.1972"The status of several conservation abilities across the life span."Human Development15: 229-243.
25.
Pascual-Leone, J.1982"Growing into human maturity: towards a metasubjective theory of adulthood stages," in P. B. Baltes and 0. G. Brim (eds.) Life-span Development and Behavior, Vol. 5. New York: Academic.
26.
Quetelet, A.1835Sur l'homme et le développement de sees facultés (2 vols.). Paris: Bachelier. (On Man and the Development of His Faculties. Edinburgh: University of Edinburgh, 1842.)
27.
Sabatini, P. P.
and G. Labouvie-Vief 1979 "Age and professional specialization in formal reasoning." Presented at the 32nd Annual Meeting of the Gerontological Society, Washington, DC.
28.
Schaie, K. W.1965"A general model for the study of developmental problems."Psych. Bull.64: 92-107.
29.
Schaie, K. W.
and C. R. Strother1968"A cross-sequential study of age changes in cognitive behavior."Psych. Bull. 70: 671-680.
30.
Sinnott, J. D.
1978 "Adult intellectual development as social cognitive growth: a model." Presented at the 31st Annual Meeting of the Gerontological Society, Dallas.
31.
Turner, R. R.
and H. W. Reese1980Life-Span Developmental Psychology: Intervention. New York: Academic.
32.
Woodruff, D. S.1982"Advances in the psychophysiology of aging," in F.I.M. Craik and S. Trehub (eds.) Aging and Cognitive Processes. New York: Plenum.
33.
forthcoming "Age and intelligence: the history of an idea."
34.
Yerkes, R. M.1921"Psychological examining in the United States Army."National Academy of Science publication. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office.
