PSYC304 Homework 4
Salthouse, T.A. (2004). What and when of cognitive aging. Current Directions in
Psychological Science, 13, 140-144.
Please read the article (available on Bb) and complete the following reading guide.
Answer all questions in your own words.
- According to Dr. Salthouse, why is it important to study cognitive aging? (3 points)
According to Salthouse, cognitive functioning affects the quality of human life in social, mental, and physical aspects. Further, the article contends that cognitive functioning may be related to the development of disorders such as Alzheimer’s in late adulthood. Therefore, he asserts that cognitive functioning is a critical subject in human lives. He also believes that more studies on what, when, where, why, and how cognitive aging occurs are necessary. Consequently, Salthouse uses his article to emphasize that the present studies of cognitive aging are inconclusive. For instance, previous studies assume that age-related effects of cognitive functioning begin in late adulthood, only affect one’s memory, and occur in relatively small groups of people. Salthouse avers that these studies are not extensive and may offer wrong information on cognitive aging. Moreover, Salthouse believes that age-related effects of cognitive aging often go unnoticed since one’s cognitive ability is only a single facet in general human functioning. Nonetheless, without cognitive functioning, human beings would lose their independence and personalities. Analyzing the causes of cognitive aging would provide knowledge on ways to reduce or mitigate its adverse effects.
- When do age-related differences begin to appear? When do age-related effects become apparent to most adults? (3 points)
Age-related differences in cognitive functioning begin to appear in early adulthood when people are in their twenty’s. However, many previous studies mislead scholars as they contend that cognitive differences in functioning arise during geriatric ages. Data in figure 1 of the article proves that age-related differences in factors such as vocabulary, speed, reasoning, and memory occur before the age of 50. These differences vary in different variables, but the underlying finding in Salthouse’s experiment shows that cognitive declines in functioning could begin at young ages.
Since many age-related cognitive dysfunctions become evident at geriatric ages, scientists often believed that they manifest themselves during this time. Salthouse’s experiment shows that age-related effects become more apparent at 50 and above. For instance, figure 2 shows that older people take more precautions when driving like avoiding left turn because their slowing cognitive functions become more apparent at this time. Salthouse states that these changes often take time to appear because human beings modify their environments to avoid mental and physical distress. In cases where one faces significant psychological distress, the person’s age-related cognitive changes would be more evident.
- What does Figure 1 mean? Explain the findings that it is depicting. (3 points)
Figure 1 tries to answer the questions of when and what causes age-related cognitive functions. Salthouse analyses the performance of the participants using four tests (vocabulary, speed, reasoning, and memory tests). The experiment aims to find the connection between one’s age and cognitive-functioning. A viable number of participants took place in the experiment as 1424 people made up the data for speed, reasoning, and vocabulary tests. Further, 997 adults participated in the memory test. The test results for this experiment shown in Figure 1 offer significant insight into age-related cognitive functions. The Z scores shown in the figure on the vocabulary test exhibited increased vocabulary intelligence with age till the mid-fifties, where there would be a decline or stagnancy. Also, the graph shows that memory, speed, and age declines with age since the average for adults in their seventies was low, ranging at 20 percentile. Speed, memory, and age depicted a linear relation. Age-related effects were also apparent before the age of 50. These findings show that people accrue knowledge with increases in age to a point where the growth curve drops (the mid-50s). Additionally, Figure 1 shows that an increase influences different cognitive variables in age and that age-related cognitive differences begin early in the life cycle.
- What are at least two explanations for why we may not be able to see drastic changes in cognitive ability with age? (3 points)
Dr Salthouse contends that cognitive ability is a single contributing factor to human activities. Other aspects, such as persistence, one’s motivation, personality traits, and general environment, play a massive role in everyday activities. Therefore, since people do not rely entirely on cognitive thought, it is easy to overlook the minute and drastic changes that the activity causes in human interactions. Further, these other activities that are necessary for one’s life may cause changes that are unrelated to age or social cognitions.
Secondly, Salthouse asserts that human beings create a comfortable environment where they do not require significant effort to survive. The modified environment reduces the needs for extensive cognitive and physical functioning, thus making it difficult to notice any changes to one’s cognitions relative to age. Also, as human beings are intelligent creatures, they may change the pattern of their daily activities to adapt to age-related cognitive changes. Finally, the article states that as people grow, they acquire substantial information and skill necessary for survival. They, therefore, do not require the novel problem-solving techniques that often reduce as one becomes older.
- Given some of the research direction contrasts listed in the article, how would you study cognitive aging? Choose at least one technique (i.e., micro vs. macro, proximal vs. distal, moderation vs. manipulation, and difference vs. change) and explain why it would be advantageous to study cognitive aging in that way. (3 points)
The research investigates human activities such as memorizing that require brain activity to determine the essence of age-related cognitive functions. Also, figure 2 shows that many factors, apart from novel problem-solving skills, come into play in cognitive activities. Therefore, from these findings, I would incorporate the micro versus macro perspectives in my research on cognitive aging. While micro perspectives rely on specific aspects of the object of study, macro research analyses a more significant number of variables and a more diversified set of factors. The use of these methods in cognitive aging research would not only help in evaluating specific aspects of age-related functions but also view elements in multiple perspectives, thus, giving viable conclusions. The difference between micro and macro research methods is that the former proves that cognitive functions are complex activities that are not solely age-dependent. Therefore, the use of micro perspectives shows that cognition is not under the control of single factors and provides the much-needed skepticism towards existent studies. The latter suggests that age-related cognitive functions may be a small part of a whole phenomenon and, therefore, requires extensive research.