Adults learn simply through life experience and possibly by pursuing an education. Pursuing an education would depend on the setting of the experience. This project aimed to explore the theories and frameworks that inform the field of adult learning today. A course project was constructed of seven individual projects, each exploring different…

Content analysis of 11 adult development textbooks examined coverage of 5 adult education topics. There was extensive discussion of adult intelligence across most of the textbooks, but little information about the roles and functions of adult education in promoting adult development. Textbooks need to link developmental research and theory to…

"Understanding Adult Intelligence" (Robert Sternberg) focuses on the nature of intelligence. It explains Sternberg's triarchic theory, in which he posits three main aspects of intelligence: its relation to the internal or mental world of the learner, its relation to experience, and its relation to the surrounding world. "Strategies and Learning"…

This set of abstracts has been assembled to provide a brief introduction to the psychological research literature related to adult development. The present focus on psychological aspects includes only a portion of the research literature related to adult development, which in its entirety draws from all of the social and behavioral sciences. Even…

Three types of lay theories about the social world form a developmental sequence. Earlier developing theories are reorganized at the next level into a more inclusive, encompassing view of the world in order to make better predictions. The absolute thinker sees the world as fixed and unchanging, reasons with absolute rules, and has a narrow world…

Aimed at adult education practitioners engaged in graduate study, this book draws on the field of developmental psychology to provide new insights into the critical connections between experience and learning in adult education and training. Chapter 1 introduces the role of psychological development in adult learning, investment of "self" in…

At each age learning is a complex interaction of motivation, cognition, and development. In older adults, motivation is often related to a lifelong personality construct or personal meaning that an older individual will seek to play out when given the opportunity in late life. The needs of the older adult learner can be discussed in terms of…

Intended for adult educators, this book is a comprehensive overview and synthesis of what is known about adult learning. Part 1 describes the context of learning. Chapters 1-4 describe the following: the sociocultural context; the range of settings and ways they influence learners and the learning process; literature on who participates in formal…

This annotated bibliography dealing with adult learning characteristics contains 82 indexed and abstracted entries arranged under the following headings: (1) Mental and Perceptual Abilities, (2) Personality and Social Role Factors, and (3) General Bibliographies. Intelligence, intelligence tests, memory and retention, adult development, older…

Leading educational psychologists address problems in adult development and learning in this book. "What Does Educational Psychology Know about Adult Learning and Development?" (M. Cecil Smith, Thomas Pourchot) is the introduction. "We Learn, Therefore We Develop" (Nira Granott) tackles the problem of distinguishing between…

The action principles and concepts developed in the field of adult education may be generalized to include the practice of continuing medical education. A review of learning theory and research reveals that adult learning varies along four dimensions: (1) ability to accept new information and adopt new practices; (2) approach to learning; (3) ways…

The recent phenomenon of the "returning adult" to colleges has raised concern regarding two implications: age decline in intellectual ability and loss due to lack of practice. Literature indicates slight impairment of the problem-solving function until the years of advanced age. The degree of impairment is related to factors of educational…

A study examined 140 persons from nine very diverse settings in the United States and England who had retired in a positive way. Interviews with the retirees revealed that despite their diverse geographical, socioeconomic, and racial/ethnic backgrounds, they all had one thing in common--in retirement, all of them had a new and exciting career.…

This book provides a critical account of the psychological theories that have informed contemporary adult education theory and practice. Chapter 1 discusses the importance of balancing description, critique, and comments on each theory's influence on adult education and the need to understand psychological development throughout the life span. The…

This book contains 15 papers on the following topics related to lifelong learning: lifespan development and education, capacity to learn in the lifespan, skills formation in the workplace, learning to learn in the lifespan, and implications for policy and practice. The following papers are included: "Learning for Life: New Ideas, New…