Cognitive development in late adulthood

Definition of wisdom

"Expertise in the conduct and meaning of life"

Event vs time based task... Which one declines more?

*Time-based* requires more initiative and declines more considerably

Why is the error reduction strategy important?

- Teach them right the first time - Don't have them make an error and then make a correction

Compensatory techniques for language

- speak slower - more sentences, but shorter ones

5 ingredients of wisdom

1. Factual knowledge: - generalized and specific knowledge 2. Procedural knowledge: - strategies for dealing with life's problem 3. Lifespan contextualism: - view of people that considered their life contexts 4. Relativism of values: - concern with ultimate human values (common good) and respect for individual differences in values 5. Awareness and management of uncertainty: - awareness that no one has all the answers

Terminal decline

Acceleration in deterioration of cognitive functioning prior to death

Schaie's Theory Stages

Acquisitive Stage (childhood and adolescence) Achieving Stage (early adulthood) Responsibility Stage (middle adulthood) Reintegrative Stage (late adulthood)

Time based task

Adult must be engaged in action after certain time interval has elapsed - Taking medicine every 2-3 hours Time-based requires more initiative and declines more considerably

Example of? Grandma knows they know you, but not exactly who you are

Associative memory deficit

Recognition

Automatic memory that demands little mental effort

Implicit memory refers to which type of memory

Automatic memory that occurs without conscious awareness

Maintenance of crystallized intelligence depends on

Continued opportunities to enhance cognition - especially important after retirement

Timeline of fluid intelligence

Decline begins in early adulthood

Effect of retirement on cognition

Decreased stimulation lead to increased cognitive decline - whereas increased stimulation lead to reduced cognitive decline

Explicit memory Examples

Deliberate memory - names of people, places, appointments

Associative memory deficits refer to:

Difficulty creating and retrieving links between pieces of information - Knowing an actors face, but not what movie they are from

2 age-related declines in language production

Difficulty retrieving words from LT memory - "tip of the tongue" Decreased ability to plan and organize speech - less complex and organized

Components of Schaie's reintegrative stage

During late adulthood, - less of a need to acquire knowledge and monitor consequences of decisions - reexamine and reintegrate interests, attitudes, and values - become more selective of how they use cognition

Method of compensating for associative memory deficits

Elaboration and memory cues - describing the individual will help them recognize who it is

Semantic vs episodic memory: which one declines more?

Episodic - Semantic memory is better preserved because it is removed from the context in which it was learned

Which type of memory demands more from an individual's cognition?

Explicit memory

T/F: Memory that depends on conscious use of strategies rather than on familiarity is better preserved in late adulthood.

False: opposite. - Implicit is better maintained bc it takes little conscious effort

T/F: Older adults are less likely to seek medical care early one

False; they are more likely to seek care

Types of problems in late adulthood change to focus more on:

Familial relationships and IADLs (meals, bills, healthcare)

The more an individual depends on their ____________ intelligence, the earlier it starts to decline

Fluid

Which type of intelligence is strongly correlated with tactile performance?

Fluid intelligence - feeling of heat/cold with fingers

Fluid vs crystallized intelligence

Fluid: biological-based info Crystallized: cultural based

Typical cognitive decline is _______________-

Gradual

Effect of education of cognition

Higher education, increased stimulation or continuing education lead to reduced cognitive decline Community service

Crystallized intelligence timeline

Increases until late adulthood Declines in 80s

Cognitive rehabilitation: Results?

Individual 1 on 1 session - Mixed evidence for ADL and QoL outcomes

Predictors of wisdom in old age

Life experiences - leadership - overcoming adversity - human service training/practice

Crystallized intelligence is important in order to offset ______________

Loss of fluid intelligence

Is there a change in language and oral comprehension?

Minimal change

Heritbaility and genetics have a ______________ contribution on cognition

Modest

Selective optimization with compensation

Narrowing goals and selecting personally valued activities as a method of optimizing their energy

Cultural acknowledgment of wisdom in old age. Is this wisdom age-related?

No it is experience related

Is wisdom guaranteed in old age?

No, you must have had experience

Reminiscence bump

Period of heightened autobiographical memory Typically characterizing personally significant memories, ages 10-30

Cognitive stimulation: results?

Puzzles and games - Improves social interaction (which also improves cognition) and QoL - Unknown benefits on ADLs

Going into the kitchen, but forgetting what for is an example of which type of memory retrieval

Recall

Components of memory retrieval

Recall Recognition

Episodic memory

Recall of everyday experiences - Remembering what you need from the kitchen - Remembering directions somewhere Difficulties in recall occur in old age bc working memory is too full Declines quicker than semantic memory

Autobiographical memory

Recall of personally meaningful events - first kiss, first love, etc - strengthened because mentioned often

Temporal memory

Recall of the order in which events occurred & how recently they occurred - Wake up, brush teeth, go to appointment Declines in old age

Semantic memory

Recall of vocabulary & general information that is removed from the context in which it was learned Declines less than everyday memory Dependent on previous experiences

Remote vs intermediate vs recent events Memory

Recent: most remembered Remote Intermediate

Does recall or recognition suffer less?

Recognition; due to environmental supports such as visual reminders, post its, and google homes. Recall has no supports.

Prospective memory refers to

Remembering to engage in planned actions in the future

Compensation for prospective memory

Reminders work great for both event and time based tasks!

Which memory refers to extended LT episodic recall?

Remote memory - declines in YA and then stabilizes

Recall

Retrieval of details from memory - Involves fewer clues than recognition - Difficult to remember source of information

Elder individuals may look like they are withdrawing from their social life at times. However, this may be a sign of

Selective optimization with compensation

What is this an example of? A grandparent decides to spend more time with their grandkids rather than playing bingo every Tuesday night with friends.

Selective optimization with compensation

Fewer details are remembered due to:

Slower processing speed and decreased working memory

Cognitive training

Such as Luminosity - Mixed results on ADLs - You will do better on those exams, but your functioning wil not improve

T/F: Despite having fewer strategies, older adults are able to adapt

T

T/F: Older adults are more likely to consult others for advice about everyday problesm

T

T/F: Research reveals large individual differences in cognitive functioning among the elderly

T

T/F: The complexity of a task can factor into the individuals prospective memory

T

T/F: Metacognition is a powerful asset to cognitive intervention

T; Have to know you have cognitive losses in order to treat them

T/F: Older adults tend to avoid interpersonal conflicts

T; they are especially concerned with maintaining positive relationships

Event-based task

Tasks, such as an event, serve as cues Time and place where this "event" must take place Going to lunch with friends next Tuesday

The Berlin Wisdom model exemplifies:

That it is very difficult to quantify wisdom - Looks at how individuals answer questions

Difficulty with prospective memory in older adults is determined by

The amount of mental effort required

An individuals reading and literacy is based on what?

Their investment in their earlier years

How can selective optimization with compensation be dangerous?

Using an umbrella to drive Choosing to eat unhealthy because don't want to spend the time to make healthy food

How much effort does implicit memory take? Examples

Very little; Putting on clothes Driving

Effect of health status on cognition

Vision, *hearing*, cardiovascular & more are strong predictors of cognitive declines

Is implicit or explicit memory more affected by age?

While both are affected, explicit is more affected

Verbal prompting for CORRECT tasks ___________- ADLs

enhances

Traditional problem solving declines in late adulthood due to?

memory limitations and impairments