This study examined the performance of middle aged and elderly adults on the Piagetian tests of class inclusion and multiple classification. (GO)

Prompted by the lack of information about the post-parental, pre-retirement generation, this study identified the nature of stress in the lives of a stratified cluster sample of 113 men and women who were 45 through 64 years of age. In semi-structured, in-depth interviews with experienced M.S.W. social workers, subjects identified the stressful…

The results showed as much variation within the groups of mature women and young women as between the two groups. Mature women found little in the academic or social life of the institution with which to identify; neither did the young women. (Author/CG)

Explored the relationship between divergent thinking and self-esteem across the adult lifespan. Subjects from 18 to 84 years of age responded to a self-esteem inventory and an exercise in divergent thinking. Self-esteem predicted divergent thinking across age groups, whereas age differences accounted for little variance in divergent thinking.…

While most lifespan developmental theories of personality predict age-related changes in coping, little direct evidence exists for determining whether age differences in coping style are due to intrinsic developmental processes or to age differences in the kinds of stresses encountered. To evaluate age differences in coping strategies and whether…

Reviews the research and theory related to middle age. The literature survey is divided into three parts: (1) When is middle aged?; (2) What are its psychosocial dynamics?; and (3) Is there a mid-life crisis? Suggests implications for educational practice. (Author/CSS)

Education, not age per se, is related to conservation ability during the adult years. Age differences should not be interpreted as age changes without using the more appropriate designs which separate age and cohort effects. Results emphasize the relationship between education and cognitive abilities among the elderly. (Author)

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…

Examined age differences in self-ratings of present and projected past and future cognitive performance across cognitive domains. Findings from 151 adults in their 20s, 40s, 60s, and 80s revealed that performance on fluid/speeded intelligence, memory, and reasoning tasks followed progression of poorer performance with age. Found age differences in…

Self-report research has inconclusively linked complaints of poor memory functioning, memory performance, and intellectual ability with depression in older adults. In order to investigate more conclusively the correlation between these variables as well as to investigate the effect of age differences, 159 older adults (49 young-old, aged 55-70; 60…

Relatively little research exists on the relationship between adaptability and the structural aspects of self. The research that does exist suggests that a more mature personality, i.e., a self that is differentiated and integrated, has a greater capacity to adapt to crises. To identify the empirical relationship between three structural…

Recognizing the salience of the family in middle and later life, researchers have recently shown increased interest in grandparenting. Population trends which suggest that grandparenting is an experience relevant to many individuals and families for longer periods of time than ever before emphasize the need to examine grandparenting as an…

Cohort differences in perceptions of age appropriate behavior during adulthood were examined. The specific question was to what degree members of three different cohort groups who share a common familial background differ on the degree of acceptance expressed regarding age appropriate behaviors. The sample consisted of three groups of women:…

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…

Although age-related memory differences in adulthood occur in a variety of memory tasks, most of these tasks represent uncommon memory demands. An investigation of everyday memory demands explored the effect of contextual organization on memory performance of middle aged (N=20) and older (N=20) women. Tasks involved reconstruction of spatial…