Psychological Ageing
Psychological ageing is the less visible face of change in late adulthood. From a cognitive function and intelligence perspective, the typical characteristics of this period are:
- A decline in 'working' and 'episodic' memory. This decline, however, is not generally seen in other types of memory, such as 'procedural' and 'sensory' memory.
- A decrease in 'fluid' intelligence [i.e. the ability to solve abstract problems] which is followed much later by a sharp decline in 'crystallised' intelligence [e.g. vocabulary, general knowledge etc.]
It has been argued that studies of ageing have disproportionately focused on the loss of function whilst neglecting the cognitive gains that might occur during late adulthood. As such, potential gains that might be experienced during this period have been identified as:
- 'Loss-based' gains such as increased 'coping' skills and capacity for 'resilience' in the face of loss of cognitive and physical function.
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Genuine gains, such as 'wisdom', which, might also be seen as increased openness, empathy, a well-developed sense of humour, and the capacity to learn from experience.
(Marcoen, Coleman, & O’Hanlon, 2007)