Gender differences in spatial ability in old age were examined and the effectiveness of cognitive training in reducing these differences was assessed. Age-related decline in the speed of problem solving, especially for men, was noted. Following training on mental rotation ability, there was no significant gender difference in spatial ability…

The basic issue underlying this research is whether or not adult personality structures change after maturity is reached. Problems involved in the longitudinal study of psychological variables are discussed and 2 feasible designs applied in an effort to differentiate the effects of chronological age, secular trends, generation differences, as well…

Because conventional test instruments designed to predict academic performance of the young tend to be inaccurate measures of competence in the elderly, new assessment instruments are being constructed which are more appropriate for current cohorts of the elderly. A comparison of performance on conventional measures to performance on newly…

The selected bibliography contains about 400 references taken from a keysort file of more than 45,000 references, compiled from commercially available data bases and published sources, relevant to gerontology. Those of questionable accuracy were checked or deleted during the verification process. Most references are in English and were selected…

The impact of sociocultural change upon age differences in adult cognitive behavior was studied. Results indicated stability of cognitive functioning throughout most of adulthood. Decrements found in other studies may be attributed to cultural change factors. (ST)

Studied 1,1621 adults to determine whether psychometric tests would retain equivalent factor structures among samples widely differing in age. Results confirmed configural invariance for all subsets, but did not establish complete or incomplete metric invariance for any set. (RJC)

While research has examined both life satisfaction and intellectual functioning of older adults, the relationship between these two dimensions has been investigated very little. A study was conducted to explore continuity in intellectual functioning over time in advanced old age, continuity in life satisfaction during the same period, the…

Effects of differential reinforcement of cautiousness upon intellectual performance in the elderly were investigated employing 56 females and 32 males. Systematically varied pre-test instruction conditions involving two levels of risk and of response omission when taking the PMA Test. Results suggest performance in intelligence tests is influenced…

Much attention has been given to generational differences in level and rate of age changes in the study of adult behavioral development. Much less work has been done on generational differences in personality development. This study examined cross-sectional and longitudinal data from the Test of Behavioral Rigidity administered to more than 3,000…

While changes in levels of activity and in social relationships in old age have interested researchers for some time, longitudinal studies have only recently begun to yield information about changes in social relationships across time for older adults. Parents (N=74) of the 1928-1929 Guidance Study and Berkeley Growth Study children, who are now…

Previous research on intelligence and aging has relied on tests developed for younger adults, which often incorporate many factors that could impede optimal performance in elderly populations. To investigate short-term longitudinal changes in memory, intelligence, and perceived competence in everyday situations among older adults, 227 adults were…

A major issue concerning adult intellectual development is whether intellectual decline in late adulthood is uniform or ability-specific. Differential patterns of ability decline were analyzed by comparing data on longitudinal age change over the age range from 53 to 81 years from two successive 14-year periods (1956-1970 and 1970-1984). The…

Presents evidence from the Seattle Longitudinal Study to show that cognitive style and other lifestyle variables in middle life can predict part of the individual differences in ability decline in old age. High performance on fluid abilities and on motor-cognitive flexibility, an engaged lifestyle, and the absence of family dissolution at middle…

Summarizes the conduct and results of the Seattle Longitudinal Study, an investigation that has assessed mental abilities in more than 5,000 adults and has followed some for as long as 35 years. Integrative findings are presented on age changes, cohort differences, factor structure, individual differences, and interventions. (SLD)