Individual differences in trajectory of intellectual development over 45 years of adulthood.

Arbuckle, Tannis Y.; Maag, Urs; Pushkar, Dolores; Chaikelson, June

doi:10.1037/0882-7974.13.4.663

Cited by 81 publications

(99 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Identification of the major influences involved in this differentiation, often first discernible in midlife, requires long-term longitudinal data (cf. Arbuckle, Maag, Pushkar, & Chaikelson, 1998;Schaie, 1984;Schaie & Hofer, 2001;Willis & Reid, 1999).…”

Section: Aging As Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

What Can We Learn From Longitudinal Studies of Adult Development?

Kw¹

2005

Research in Human Development

178

123

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This article distinguishes between normal and pathological aging, provides an interdisciplinary context, and then considers a sample case of cognitive aging. Developmental influences on cognition include the physiological infrastructure, genetic predispositions, and environmental influences. Different types of longitudinal studies are distinguished, and contrasting findings of cross-sectional and longitudinal are examined in the sample case of the Seattle Longitudinal Study. Also considered is the longitudinal context for intervention studies and the role of longitudinal family studies in assessing rate of aging and generational differences in rates of aging. Finally, attention is given to the role of longitudinal studies in the early detection of risk for dementia in advanced age.In this article I distinguish between normal and pathological aging, provide some historical context, discuss shifts in relevant methodological paradigms, provide an interdisciplinary context, and then consider a sample case of cognitive aging in greater detail.A distinction is made between age related declines that should be attributed either to neuropathology or to disuse and obsolescence. But aging can also be considered as development in domains such as experience and wisdom, and we must distinguish between successful and unsuccessful aging.The study of adult development originated in the early mental testing movement. Crosssectional findings of substantial age-related declines from early to late adulthood soon motivated the development of longitudinal studies. Other methodological paradigm shifts of importance to longitudinal inquiry have involved advances in the measurement of age, confirmatory factor analysis, and treatment of age as the dependent variable.I then present a model that considers the roles of age-related changes in the physiological infrastructure, genetic predispositions, and environmental influences. Different types of longitudinal studies are distinguished, and contrasting findings of cross-sectional and longitudinal studies are examined in the sample case of the Seattle Longitudinal Study.Selected findings from this study are presented to discuss the complex interaction of longitudinal age changes and cohort differences. The latter introduces the role of longitudinal family studies in assessing rate of aging and generational differences in rates of aging. Also, I briefly consider the longitudinal context for intervention studies designed to slow the rate of aging.And, finally, I discuss the role of longitudinal studies in the early detection of risk for dementia in advanced age, which involves linkages between studies of normal and pathological aging as well as attention to genetic markers of dementia.Requests for reprints should be sent to

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Section: Aging As Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

What Can We Learn From Longitudinal Studies of Adult Development?

Kw¹

2005

Research in Human Development

178

123

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“…Epidemiologists have repeatedly shown that individuals who are socially and intellectually engaged in late life are more likely to be physically (Prohaska et al, 2006) and cognitively (Arbuckle et al, 1998;Wilson et al, 2002) fit and are less susceptible to depression (Cacioppo et al, 2006) than those who experience relatively low levels of social and intellectual stimulation. Our findings confirm the existence of these associations.…”

Section: The Role Of Social Activity In Late-life Functioningmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social Activity and Healthy Aging: A Study of Aging Danish Twins

Christensen

2007

Twin Res Hum Genet

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A lthough social and intellectual engagement have been consistently associated with late-life functioning, rather than true causation, these associations may reflect the experiential choices of high functioning individuals (i.e., selection effects). We investigated the association of social activity with late-life physical functioning, cognitive functioning, and depression symptomatology using data from 1112 pairs of like-sex twins who participated in the Longitudinal Study of Aging Danish Twins. Consistent with previous research, we found that social activity was significantly correlated with overall level of physical functioning, cognitive functioning, and depression symptomatology. We also found that social activity was significantly and moderately heritable (estimate of .36), raising the possibility that its association with late-life functioning might reflect selection processes. Further, social activity did not predict change in functioning and in monozygotic twin pairs discordant on level of social activity, the more socially active twin was not less susceptible to age decreases in physical and cognitive functioning and increases in depression symptomatology than the less socially active twin. These results are interpreted in the context of the additional finding that nonshared environmental factors, although apparently not social activity, are the predominant determinant of changes in late-life functioning.

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“…By contrast, four other studies have not observed a correlation between neuroticism and cognitive decline. (Arbuckle, Maag, Pushkar, & Chaikelson, 1998;Hultsch et al, 1999;Jelicic et al, 2003;Wetherell, Reynolds, Gatz, & Pedersen, 2002). Several factors may have contributed to the negative results of the latter studies, including having fewer participants (one with > 500 versus all four positive studies with > 500) and lower follow-up participation (none with > 85% versus all four positive studies with > 85%).…”

Section: Chronic Psychological Distressmentioning

confidence: 99%

Enrichment Effects on Adult Cognitive Development

Hertzog

Kramer

Wilson

et al. 2008

Psychol Sci Public Interest

1,164

464

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SUMMARY-In this monograph, we ask whether various kinds of intellectual, physical, and social activities produce cognitive enrichment effects-that is, whether they improve cognitive performance at different points of the adult life span, with a particular emphasis on old age.We begin with a theoretical framework that emphasizes the potential of behavior to influence levels of cognitive functioning. According to this framework, the undeniable presence of age-related decline in cognition does not invalidate the view that behavior can enhance cognitive functioning. Instead, the course of normal aging shapes a zone of possible functioning, which reflects person-specific endowments and age-related constraints. Individuals influence whether they function in the higher or lower ranges of this zone by engaging in or refraining from beneficial intellectual, physical, and social activities. From this point of view, the potential for positive change, or plasticity, is maintained in adult cognition. It is an argument that is supported by newer research in neuroscience showing neural plasticity in various aspects of central nervous system functioning, neurochemistry, and architecture. This view of human potential contrasts with static conceptions of cognition in old age, according to which decline in abilities is fixed and individuals cannot slow its course. Furthermore, any understanding of cognition as it occurs in everyday life must make a distinction between basic cognitive mechanisms and skills (such as working-memory capacity) and the functional use of cognition to achieve goals in specific situations. In practice, knowledge and expertise are critical for effective functioning, and the available evidence suggests that older adults effectively employ specific knowledge and expertise and can gain new knowledge when it is required.We conclude that, on balance, the available evidence favors the hypothesis that maintaining an intellectually engaged and physically active lifestyle promotes successful cognitive aging. First, cognitive-training studies have demonstrated that older adults can improve cognitive functioning when provided with intensive training in strategies that promote thinking and remembering. The early training literature suggested little transfer of function from specifically trained skills to new cognitive tasks; learning was highly specific to the cognitive processes targeted by training. Recently, however, a new generation of studies suggests that providing structured experience in situations demanding executive coordination of skillssuch as complex video games, task-switching paradigms, and divided attention tasks-train strategic control over cognition that does show transfer to different task environments. These studies suggest that there is considerable reserve potential in older adults' cognition that can be enhanced through training.Second, a considerable number of studies indicate that maintaining a lifestyle that is intellectually stimulating predicts better maintenance of cognitive skills and is a...

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Individual differences in trajectory of intellectual development over 45 years of adulthood.

Cited by 81 publications

References 26 publications

What Can We Learn From Longitudinal Studies of Adult Development?

What Can We Learn From Longitudinal Studies of Adult Development?

Social Activity and Healthy Aging: A Study of Aging Danish Twins

Enrichment Effects on Adult Cognitive Development

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