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