Age changes in categorization and conceptual styles were studied using an object-sorting task in 276 subjects representing seven age groups. Significant age effects were found in the analysis of variance for four of six measures; there were no significant sex or interaction effects. (Author)

Young (N=18) and older (N=18) adults participated in a vocabulary task involving varying degrees of risk with a payoff structure that varied either directly or inversely with risk. In contrast to prior research using constant payoff structures, results did not indicate that older adults are more cautious than young adults. (Author)

The relation between three cognitive ability factors and three personality dimensions were examined in three age groups. Subjects were 969 male volunteers ranging in age from 25 to 82. While personality has some influence on cognitive performance, declines with age in performance on some cognitive tasks are not mediated by personality. (Author)

The Wickens "release from proactive inhibition" task involves presenting several trigrams of one type for several trials and then shifting to another type. College students, elderly community residents, and elderly rest-home residents were compared on the Wickens task. College students were superior in over-all memory. (Author)

Vocabulary test responses as traditionally scored were compared to these same responses when scored for finer nuances of understanding, as determined by the criterion of superior synonyms. Hypothesized the latter would be more related to age in a deficit pattern than the former. Results partly supported the hypothesis. (Author)

Primarily middle-class women (N=212) were classified as "still working,""retired," or "housewives most of their lives" according to self-report. Analysis showed women who have worked much of their lives are not at a disadvantage relative to those who have not in terms of number of social resources at their disposal. (Author)

Positive self-concept correlated with belief in one's internal locus of desired control. Examining only institutionalized subjects, the first study found this relationship to be prominent for male subjects. In the second study, comparing institutionalized and noninstitutionalized elderly, this relationship was again most prominent for…

Effects of marital status on morale relative to five covariates were examined with 232 widowed and 363 married women aged 45-74. Lower morale scores found among the widowed may be partly attributable to other factors commonly associated with this status and not due to the role of widowhood per se. (Author)

This study compared the MMPI profiles of law offenders (N=362) at different ages to examine personality changes associated with aging and to assess certain clinically derived impressions about patterns of personality disturbance in older vs. younger offenders. The greater the age difference between groups, the larger were the personality…

Survey and ethnographic data were used to explore attitudes toward death among members of varying social categories defined by race, age, social class, and sex. Analysis by age resulted in substantial differences, with middle-aged respondents (45-54 years) expressing greatest fears of death and the elderly (65-74) reflecting the least. (Author)

Timed and untimed scoring methods were employed with five WAIS subtests administered to 40 young and 40 old subjects matched for verbal intelligence. Elimination of bonuses for rapid performance differentially improved the scores of older subjects but did not raise those scores to levels achieved by the young. (Author)

This study determined relative importance of physical, psychological, and social variables to type of control that middle-aged adults (N=337) perceive over their environment. Factors reflective of the process of acculturation such as self-concept, religious motivation, and occupation maintained the strongest relationship to perceived control.…

Age differences in attitudes toward aging were investigated as a function of three-hour training program with 322 women (18-74 years) from various geriatric health care and social service contexts. Results indicated few instances of unfavorable attitudes toward aging in any age group. (Author)