Slide 1Fluid and Crystallized IntelligenceSlide 3Memory in Middle AdulthoodExpertiseCognitive Changes in Late LifeCognitive FunctioningCognitive FunctioningBaltes: Dual-Process ModelWisdomApproaches to Studying WisdomDementiaAlzheimer’s DiseaseAlzheimer’s DiseaseCauses of Alzheimer’s DiseaseCare for Individuals with Alzheimer’s DiseaseParkinson’s DiseaseCognitive Development in Middle and Late AdulthoodFluid and Crystallized Intelligence•Fluid•Depends on basic information-processing skills: •detecting relationships among stimuli•analytical speed•working memory•Crystallized•Skills that depend on:•accumulated knowledge•experience•good judgment•mastery of social conventions•Valued by person’s cultureMemory in Middle Adulthood•Few changes in:•factual knowledge•procedural knowledge•metacognitive knowledge•Working memory declines•Use less memory strategies•May be due to slower processing, attention problemsExpertise•Mature adults show increasing competence solving problems in their field•Encapsulation:•Information processing becomes dedicated to specific knowledge•Captures fluid ability for expert problem solving•Can help buffer age-related cognitive declinesCognitive Changes in Late LifeDecline STABLE May ImproveTasks that require elaborationEpisodic memory: Names & faces; Encoding new informationTasks requiring rehearsal:Procedural memory: Motor skills and habitsSemantic memory: Vocabulary and knowledge; deeper comprehension and integration across feelings and facts15-7Cognitive Functioning•Explicit memory: Memory of facts and experiences that individuals consciously know and can state•Implicit memory: Memory without conscious recollection•Noncognitive factors - Health, education, and socioeconomic status can influence an older adult’s performance on memory tasks15-8Cognitive Functioning•Executive functioning•Involves managing one's thoughts to engage in goal-directed behavior and self control:•General aspects of executive functioning decline in late adulthood•Considerable variability in executive functioning among older adultsBaltes: Dual-Process Model1. Mechanics of Intelligence•Neurophysiological “hardware” – declines with age2. Pragmatics of Intelligence•Culture-based “Software” – practical thinking, Gf, wisdom •Can continue to increase in later adulthoodSelective Optimization with Compensation (SOC)•Using psychosocial resources to compensate for weakened mechanical abilitiesWisdom•Wisdom -- expert knowledge about the practical aspects of life that permits excellent judgment about important matters•practical knowledge•development of coping skills•High levels of wisdom are rare•Factors other than age are critical for wisdom to developApproaches to Studying Wisdom•Social judgments•Exploring conceptions of a “wise person”•Personality•The culmination of lifetime growth•Cognitive expertise•Breadth and depth of knowledge of life•Transcendence•Detachment from preoccupation with selfDementia•Dementia – •neurological disorder•deterioration of mental functioning•Loss of ability to care for themselves and recognize familiar surroundings and peopleAlzheimer’s Disease•Alzheimers Disease -- a progressive, irreversible brain disorder characterized by gradual deterioration of memory, reasoning, language, and eventually physical function•Early- (younger than 65) and late-onset (older than 65)•Formation of amyloid plaques -- deposits of protein accumulating in blood vessels •Neurofibrillary tangles -- twisted fibers that build up in neuronsAlzheimer’s DiseaseFewer than 25% of older adults have AD. It is NOT “normal aging”Causes of Alzheimer’s Disease•No certain scientific proof of causes•Age is a risk factor•Genetic links seem to exist•Lifestyle factors•Lack of exercise•Mild cognitive impairment represents a transitional state between the cognitive changes of normal aging and very early Alzheimer disease and dementiasCare for Individuals with Alzheimer’s Disease•Family members and other care providers can become physically and emotionally drained•Need for respite care -- services that provide temporary relief to caregiversParkinson’s Disease•Parkinson’s disease -- a chronic, progressive disease •muscle tremors•slowing of movement•partial facial paralysis•Onset: degeneration of neurons that produce dopamine in the brain•Dopamine -- neurotransmitter necessary for normal brain