-
-
Autor*innen: Schmiedek, Florian; Lövdén, Martin; Lindenberger, Ulman
Titel: Keeping it steady. Older adults perform more consistently on cognitive tasks than younger adults
In: Psychological Science, 24 (2013) 9, S. 1747-1754
DOI: 10.1177/0956797613479611
Dokumenttyp: 3a. Beiträge in begutachteten Zeitschriften; Aufsatz (keine besondere Kategorie)
Sprache: Englisch
Schlagwörter: Altern; Altersgruppe; Arbeitsgedächtnis; Empirische Untersuchung; Erwachsener; Gedächtnis; Kognitive Kompetenz; Kognitive Prozesse; Leistung; Test; Unterschied; Wahrnehmung
Abstract: People often attribute poor performance to having bad days. Given that cognitive aging leads to lower average levels
of performance and more moment-to-moment variability, one might expect that older adults should show greater
day-to-day variability and be more likely to experience bad days than younger adults. However, both researchers
and ordinary people typically sample only one performance per day for a given activity. Hence, the empirical basis
for concluding that cognitive performance does substantially vary from day to day is inadequate. On the basis of
data from 101 younger and 103 older adults who completed nine cognitive tasks in 100 daily sessions, we show that
the contributions of systematic day-to-day variability to overall observed variability are reliable but small. Thus, the
impression of good versus bad days is largely due to performance fluctuations at faster timescales. Despite having
lower average levels of performance, older adults showed more consistent levels of performance across days.
DIPF-Abteilung: Bildung und Entwicklung
-
-
Autor*innen: Oswald, Frank; Kaspar, Roman; Konopik, Nadine; Frenzel-Erkert, Ursula
Titel: Hier will ich wohnen bleiben! Zur Bedeutung des Wohnens in der Nachbarschaft für gesundes Altern
In: ProAlter, 45 (2013) 5, S. 54-59
Dokumenttyp: 3b. Beiträge in weiteren Zeitschriften; wissenschaftsorientiert
Sprache: Deutsch
Schlagwörter: Altern; Befragung; Forschungsprojekt; Frankfurt a.M.; Identität; Infrastruktur; Nachbarschaft; Partizipation; Senior; Situation; Stadt; Wohlbefinden; Wohnen
Abstract: Wohnen im Alter findet nicht nur in der Wohnung statt, sondern auch im unmittelbaren Wohnumfeld, im Quartier. Welche Bedürfnisse Frankfurter BürgerInnen im Alter haben und wie das Altern im Quartier entsprechend gestaltet werden kann, war Thema der Frankfurter Studie "BEWOHNT". Erste Ergebnisse wurden bereits umgesetzt. (DIPF/Orig.)
DIPF-Abteilung: Bildungsqualität und Evaluation
-
-
Autor*innen: Oswald, Frank; Kaspar, Roman
Titel: On the quantitative assessment of perceived housing in later life
In: Journal of Housing For the Elderly, 26 (2012) 1/3, S. 72-93
DOI: 10.1080/02763893.2012.673391
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02763893.2012.673391
Dokumenttyp: 3a. Beiträge in begutachteten Zeitschriften; Beitrag in Sonderheft
Sprache: Englisch
Schlagwörter: Alter Mensch; Altern; Befragung; Bewertung; Datenanalyse; Deutschland; Faktorenanalyse; Fragebogenerhebung; Gerontologie; Großbritannien; Kontrolle; Modell; Nachbarschaft; Schweden; Sekundäranalyse; Umwelt; Wahrnehmung; Wohnen; Wohnung; Zufriedenheit
Abstract (english): Person-environment relationships become particularly important in later life. Our discussion of challenges in the assessment of experiential person-environment exchange processes is grounded on a four-domain model of perceived housing. We present empirical findings from an iterative process of instrument revision seeking optimization of both reliability and validity issues regarding controlrelated and meaning-oriented domains of perceived housing. Our initial reconstruction, however, was not confirmed to represent a
consistent and reliable measure for the suggested dimensions of housing-related identity, privacy, and autonomy. Exploratory posthoc analyses of the pilot pool of indicators suggests six holistic facets, such as "daily independence" "neighborhood belonging", "mirror of self", "continuity and remaining in place" and "being alone and
at peace". Plausible content-related interpretation and relations to major background characteristics encourage the continuous task of tailoring assessment instruments to meet the holistic character of housing experiences in later life.
DIPF-Abteilung: Bildungsqualität und Evaluation
-
-
Autor*innen: Schöllgen, Ina; Huxhold, Oliver; Schmiedek, Florian
Titel: Emotions and physical health in the second half of life. Interindividual differences in age-related trajectories and dynamic associations according to socioeconomic status
In: Psychology and Aging, 27 (2012) , S. 338-352
DOI: 10.1037/a0026115
URL: https://doi.apa.org/record/2011-30103-001
Dokumenttyp: 3a. Beiträge in begutachteten Zeitschriften; Aufsatz (keine besondere Kategorie)
Sprache: Englisch
Schlagwörter: Altern; Bildungsniveau; Deutschland; Einflussfaktor; Emotion; Empirische Untersuchung; Erwachsener; Forschungsdesign; Gesundheit; Körperliche Entwicklung; Messverfahren; Senior; Sozialer Status; Sozioökonomische Lage; Unterschied
Abstract (english): The importance of socioeconomic status (SES) for psychological functioning over the life span is increasingly acknowledged in psychological research. The Reserve Capacity Model by Gallo and Matthews (2003) suggests that SES is not only linked to physical health but also to the experience of positive and negative emotions. Moreover, due to differential amounts of psychosocial resources, cross-domain associations between emotions and health might differ according to SES. The present study examined age-related developments in positive affect (PA), negative affect (NA), and physical health, as well as dynamic associations between health and emotions in the second half of life. We looked at differences in these trajectories and their interrelationships according to education as one aspect of SES. We used data of up to three waves spanning 12 years from the nationally representative German Ageing Survey (N 3,847, AgeT1 40-85 years). Applying multiple-group dual change score models, we found differential age-related change in PA and physical health, but not in NA, in two groups differing in level of education. NA did only predict change in physical health in low-educated individuals, whereas physical health was equally strongly related to change in PA in both education groups. These results indicate that SES not only affects changes in physical health and emotional functioning but also their interrelationships.
DIPF-Abteilung: Bildung und Entwicklung
-
-
Autor*innen: Wolff, Julia K.; Brose, Annette; Lövdén, Martin; Tesch-Römer, Clemens; Lindenberger, Ulman; Schmiedek, Florian
Titel: Health is health is health? Age differences in intraindividual variability and in within-person versus between-person factor structures of self-reported health complaints
In: Psychology and Aging, 27 (2012) 4, S. 881-891
DOI: 10.1037/a0029125
Dokumenttyp: 3a. Beiträge in begutachteten Zeitschriften; Aufsatz (keine besondere Kategorie)
Sprache: Englisch
Schlagwörter: Alter; Altern; Befragung; Faktorenanalyse; Gesundheit; Gesundheitsschaden; Junger Erwachsener; Messung; Psychometrie; Senior; Subjektivität; Vergleich; Wohlbefinden
Abstract: The variability of health complaints within individuals across time has rarely been studied, and the question whether between- and within-person factor structures of health-related variables are equivalent has not been tested so far. We examined self-reported health complaints in 101 younger (20-31 years) and 103 older adults (65-80 years) over a period of 100 daily assessments. Data were analyzed with confirmatory two-level factor analysis. One-factor structures of health complaints provided an acceptable fit at the between- and average within-person levels in both age groups, supporting the assumption of equivalent average within- and between-person factor structures for health complaints. Age differences in loading patterns indicated that subjective health may be experienced differently by younger and older adults. Small age differences in mean levels of health symptoms were observed. Intraindividual variability in health complaints was reliable. Older adults fluctuated less from day to day than younger adults, presumably reflecting less fluctuation in objective health, differences in response styles, situational influences, or habituation processes. We conclude that future research should consider intraindividual variability as being descriptive of a person's health status, and take possible differences between within- and between-person factor structures of subjective health into account.
DIPF-Abteilung: Bildung und Entwicklung
-
-
Autor*innen: Dirk, Judith; Schmiedek, Florian
Titel: Processing speed
Aus: Krauss Whitbourne, Susan; Sliwinski, Martin (Hrsg.): The Wiley-Blackwell handbook of adulthood and aging, Hoboken: Wiley-Blackwell, 2012 , S. 135-153
Dokumenttyp: 4. Beiträge in Sammelwerken; Sammelband (keine besondere Kategorie)
Sprache: Englisch
Schlagwörter: Alter; Altern; Arbeitsgedächtnis; Differenzierung; Gedächtnis; Individualität; Kognitive Entwicklung; Kognitive Kompetenz; Kognitive Prozesse; Leistungsfähigkeit; Methode; Modell; Psychometrie; Senior
Abstract (english): The authors present and discuss theoretical approaches that treat cognitive slowing itself as an explanatory construct for age-related declines in other cognitive abilities, like fluid intelligence. These attempts will be criticized for three major reasons: (a) processing speed not being a unitary construct, (b) cognitive slowing not being a homogenous phenomenon, and (c) methodological issues with statistical approaches to establish the causal role of processing speed for the aging of other cognitive abilities. The authors continue by introducing age differences in intraindividual variability in RT's, or more generally shapes of RT distributions, as additional aspects beyond mean RT's to be accounted for by theories of cognitive slowing, and show how an approach based on models from mathematical psychology, the diffusion model […], can be used to express individual and age differences in terms of meaningful processing parameters. The authors close with reviewing theoretical approaches to explain the neurobiological changes underlying cognitive slowing and attempts to improve processing speed with practice and training.
DIPF-Abteilung: Bildung und Entwicklung
-
-
Autor*innen: Dorbath, Lara; Hasselhorn, Marcus; Titz, Cora
Titel: Aging and executive functioning. A training study on focus-switching
In: Frontiers in Psychology, 2 (2011) , S. 1-12
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00257
URL: http://www.frontiersin.org/cognition/10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00257/full
Dokumenttyp: 3a. Beiträge in begutachteten Zeitschriften; Aufsatz (keine besondere Kategorie)
Sprache: Englisch
Schlagwörter: Alter; Altern; Arbeitsgedächtnis; Einflussfaktor; Informationsverarbeitung; Kognitive Prozesse; Psychologische Forschung; Reaktion; Testdurchführung; Training; Unterschied; Veränderung; Wirkung
Abstract (english): Many studies suggest that age differences in a variety of cognitive tasks are due to age-related changes in executive control processes. However, not all executive control processes seem to be age-sensitive. Recently, Verhaeghen and colleagues (e.g., Verhaeghen et al. 2005) described dissociable age effects in an executive control process responsible for the switching of representations between different functional units of working memory. This so called focus-switching process has two components: (1) the switching of representations from an activated part of long-term memory into a region of immediate access (focus of attention) and (2) the maintenance of representations outside the focus of attention. Age-related deficits occurred in maintaining representations outside the focus of attention, but were absent in switching representations into and out of the focus of attention (e.g., Dorbath and Titz 2011). In the present study we applied a training approach to examine age-related differences in the trainability of maintenance and switching. We investigated 85 younger (age 19-35, M=24.07, SD=3.79) and 91 older (age 59-80, M=66.27, SD=4.75) adults using a continuous counting task in a pretest-training-posttest design. The participants were assigned to one of four training conditions differing in the demand to switch or to maintain. The results suggest the influence of training in both components of focus-switching for both, younger and older adults. However, age differences in the amount of training gains were observed. With respect to maintenance the results indicate a compensatory effect of training for older adults who improved their performance to the level of younger adults. With respect to switching, younger adults benefitted more from training than older adults. Trainability is thus reduced in older adults with respect to switching, but not for maintenance.
DIPF-Abteilung: Bildung und Entwicklung
-
-
Autor*innen: Hildebrandt, Andrea; Wilhelm, Oliver; Herzmann, Grit; Schmiedek, Florian; Sommer, Werner
Titel: On the specificity of face cognition compared with general cognitive
functioning across adult age
In: Psychology and Aging, 26 (2011) 3, S. 701-715
DOI: 10.1037/a0023056
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0023056
Dokumenttyp: 3a. Beiträge in begutachteten Zeitschriften; Aufsatz (keine besondere Kategorie)
Sprache: Englisch
Schlagwörter: Altern; Analyse; Gedächtnis; Informationsverarbeitung; Kognitionswissenschaft; Kognitive Prozesse; Lebensalter; Leistungsfähigkeit; Messung; Mimik; Modell; Statistik; Test; Unterschied; Visuelle Wahrnehmung
Abstract (english): Face cognition is considered a specific human ability, clearly differentiable from general cognitive functioning. Its specificity is primarily supported by cognitive-experimental and neuroimaging research, but recently also from an individual differences perspective. However, no comprehensive behavioral data are available, which would allow estimating lifespan changes of the covariance structure of face-cognition abilities and general cognitive functioning as well as age-differences in face cognition after accounting for interindividual variability in general cognition. The present study aimed to fill this gap. In an age-heterogeneous (18 82 years) sample of 448 adults, we found no factorial dedifferentiation between face cognition and general cognition. Age-related differences in face memory were still salient after taking into account changes in general cognitive functioning. Face cognition thus remains a specific human ability compared with general cognition, even until old age. We discuss implications for models of cognitive aging and suggest that it is necessary to include more explicitly special social abilities in those models.
DIPF-Abteilung: Bildung und Entwicklung
-
-
Autor*innen: Lövdén, Martin; Bodammer, Nils Christian; Kühn, Simone; Kaufmann, Jörn; Schütze, Hartmut; Tempelmann, Claus; Heinze, Hans-Jochen; Düzel, Emrah; Schmiedek, Florian; Lindenberger, Ulman
Titel: Experience-dependent plasticity of white-matter microstructure extends into old age
In: Neuropsychologia, 48 (2010) 13, S. 3878-3883
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2010.08.026
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2010.08.026
Dokumenttyp: 3a. Beiträge in begutachteten Zeitschriften; Aufsatz (keine besondere Kategorie)
Sprache: Englisch
Schlagwörter: Alter Mensch; Altern; Arbeitsgedächtnis; Deutschland; Erfahrung; Erwachsener; Gedächtnis; Gehirn; Hirnforschung; Kognitive Prozesse; Messung; Test; Wahrnehmung; Zeit
Abstract (english): Experience-dependent alterations in the human brains white-matter microstructure occur in early adult-hood, but it is unknown whether such plasticity extends throughout life.We used cognitive training, diffusion- tensor imaging(DTI),and structura lMRI to investigate plasticity of the white- mattertracts that connect the left and right hemisphere of the frontallobes. Over a period of about 180days, 20 younger adults and 12 older adults trained for a total of one hundred and one -1h sessions on a set¤of three working memory, three episodicmemory,and six perceptual speedtasks. Control groups were assessed at pre-and post-test. Training affected several DTI metrics and increased the area of the anterior part of the corpuscallosum. These alterations were of similar magnitude in younger and older adults. The findings indicate that experience-dependent plasticity of white- mattermicrostructure extends into old age and that disruptions of structural interhemispheric connectivity in old age, which are pronounced in aging, are modifiable by experience and amenable to treatment.
DIPF-Abteilung: Bildung und Entwicklung
-
-
Autor*innen: Lövdén, Martin; Lindenberger, Ulman; Bäckmann, Lars; Schäfer, Sabine; Schmiedek, Florian
Titel: A theoretical framework for the study of adult cognitive plasticity
In: Psychological Bulletin, 136 (2010) 4, S. 659-676
DOI: 10.1037/a0020080
URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0020080
Dokumenttyp: 3a. Beiträge in begutachteten Zeitschriften; Aufsatz (keine besondere Kategorie)
Sprache: Englisch
Schlagwörter: Alter Mensch; Altern; Arbeitsgedächtnis; Deutschland; Empirische Forschung; Erwachsener; Flexibilität; Gerontologie; Hirnforschung; Hirnfunktion; Kognitive Entwicklung; Kognitive Fähigkeit; Konzeption; Reaktion; Training; Verhaltensänderung
Abstract (english): Does plasticity contribute to adult cognitive development, and if so, in what ways? The vague and overused concept of plasticity makes these controversial questions difficult to answer. In this article, we refine the notion of adult cognitive plasticity and sharpen its conceptual distinctiveness. According to our framework, adult cognitive plasticity is driven by a prolonged mismatch between functional organismic supplies and environmental demands and denotes the brain's capacity for anatomically implementing reactive changes in behavioral flexibility (i.e., the possible range of performance and function). We distinguish between 2 interconnected but distinct cognitive outcomes of adult cognitive plasticity: alterations in processing efficiency and alterations in representations. We demonstrate the usefulness of our framework in evaluating and interpreting (a) increments in frontal brain activations in the course of normal aging and (b) the effects of cognitive training in adulthood and old age. Finally, we outline new research questions and predictions generated by the present framework and recommend design features for future cognitive-training studies. (DIPF/Orig.)
DIPF-Abteilung: Bildung und Entwicklung