Development does not take place in isolation and is often interrelated with close others such as marital partners. To examine interrelations in spousal happiness across midlife and old age, we used 35-year longitudinal data from both members of 178 married couples in the Seattle Longitudinal Study. Latent growth curve models revealed sizeable…

While research has examined both life satisfaction and intellectual functioning of older adults, the relationship between these two dimensions has been investigated very little. A study was conducted to explore continuity in intellectual functioning over time in advanced old age, continuity in life satisfaction during the same period, the…

Uses findings from Seattle Longitudinal Study of adult cognitive development to assist discussion of event history analysis. Illustrates its application to data involving changes of states in individual behavior related to human aging. Describes hazard functions which permit assessment of future decline risk and prediction as to when individual…

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act has been amended to outlaw mandatory retirement at any age. However, the act permits employers to impose a specific retirement age if there is a bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ) which cannot be met by all or most individuals. Imposition of BFOQ mandatory retirement ages by employers has led to…

Effects of differential reinforcement of cautiousness upon intellectual performance in the elderly were investigated employing 56 females and 32 males. Systematically varied pre-test instruction conditions involving two levels of risk and of response omission when taking the PMA Test. Results suggest performance in intelligence tests is influenced…

While changes in levels of activity and in social relationships in old age have interested researchers for some time, longitudinal studies have only recently begun to yield information about changes in social relationships across time for older adults. Parents (N=74) of the 1928-1929 Guidance Study and Berkeley Growth Study children, who are now…

Mandatory retirement because of chronological age is coming under increasing attack and, at least in the United States, it is likely that there may soon be legislative prohibitions against forcing individuals to retire because of age. As a consequence there is renewed interest in redefining retirement criteria in terms of a functional age concept…

Cohort-sequential analyses were conducted on measures from the Primary Mental Abilities Test and the Test of Behavioral Rigidity for 2,151 participants at the first testing and 723 individuals at the retesting 7 years later. Data were examined for 7-year age intervals from 25 to 81 years and cohort intervals from 1889 to 1938. (Author/JMB)

Specifications are offered for a stage theory of adult cognitive development. Current psychometric technologies are criticized as being limited in descriptions of cognitive function. The development of novel technologies is suggested for study of adult cognitive development. Paper presented at the 10th International Congress of Gerontology,…

Gender differences in spatial ability in old age were examined and the effectiveness of cognitive training in reducing these differences was assessed. Age-related decline in the speed of problem solving, especially for men, was noted. Following training on mental rotation ability, there was no significant gender difference in spatial ability…

The basic issue underlying this research is whether or not adult personality structures change after maturity is reached. Problems involved in the longitudinal study of psychological variables are discussed and 2 feasible designs applied in an effort to differentiate the effects of chronological age, secular trends, generation differences, as well…

Because conventional test instruments designed to predict academic performance of the young tend to be inaccurate measures of competence in the elderly, new assessment instruments are being constructed which are more appropriate for current cohorts of the elderly. A comparison of performance on conventional measures to performance on newly…

Previous research on intelligence and aging has relied on tests developed for younger adults, which often incorporate many factors that could impede optimal performance in elderly populations. To investigate short-term longitudinal changes in memory, intelligence, and perceived competence in everyday situations among older adults, 227 adults were…

A major issue concerning adult intellectual development is whether intellectual decline in late adulthood is uniform or ability-specific. Differential patterns of ability decline were analyzed by comparing data on longitudinal age change over the age range from 53 to 81 years from two successive 14-year periods (1956-1970 and 1970-1984). The…

Presents evidence from the Seattle Longitudinal Study to show that cognitive style and other lifestyle variables in middle life can predict part of the individual differences in ability decline in old age. High performance on fluid abilities and on motor-cognitive flexibility, an engaged lifestyle, and the absence of family dissolution at middle…