Chapter 17: Physical and Cognitive
Development in Late Adulthood
with a review of Ch. 15 Cognitive Development in
Middle Adulthood and
Ch. 16 Social & Emotional Development in Middle
Adulthood
Cognitive Development in Middle
Adulthood – changes in abilities
• What general trend in cognition did many
cross-sectional studies find? Why?
• How did the finding change with a
longitudinal design was added?
• What is the difference between crystallized
intelligence and fluid intelligence? How does
the development of these two differ in middle
adulthood?
Cognitive – Information Processing
• Response time on both simple and complex
reaction time tasks (decreases / remains stable /
increases) from early to late adulthood.
• Middle-aged adults show
(declines/improvements) in their ability to divide
their attention, focus on relevant stimuli, and
switch from one task to another.
• Adults in midlife show (declines/improvements)
in the amount of information they can retain in
working memory.
Cognition – practical problem solving,
expertise, and creativity
• What is practical problem solving?
• Expertise (peaks / declines) in midlife.
• Indicate which of the following changes in creativity
occur in middle adulthood.
– Is often spontaneous and intensely emotional
– Appears more deliberately thoughtful
– Combines extensive knowledge and experience into
unique ways of thinking
– Focuses on generating unusual products
– Reflects a largely egocentric concern with self-expression
– Reflects altruistic goals
Pyschosocial development
• ____________________ involves reaching out to
others in ways that give to and guide the next
generation. Cite characteristics of adults who possess
this trait. Give some examples.
• According to Levinson, what four developmental tasks
do midlifers confront in order to reassess their relation
to themselves and to the external world?
• What does Valliant see as the main tasks of middle
adulthood?
• What characteristics are implied by the term midlife
crisis?
Self-concept and identity
• What is meant by possible selves?
• Gender identity becomes (less / more)
androgynous in midlife. Explain your answer.
Personality and relationships
• Describe some of the main relationships in
midlife and changes that they may undergo.
Ch. 17: Physical and Cognitive
Development in Late Adulthood
Physical Development
• Life expectancy
• Physical changes: nervous
system, sensory system,
cardiovascular and
respiratory systems,
immune system, sleep,
appearance and mobility,
adaptations
• Health, fitness and
disability: nutritional and
exercise, sleep, physical
disability, mental disability
Cognitive development
• Memory
• Language
• Problem solving
• Wisdom
• Cognitive change
• Lifelong learning
Quiz 17
1. Average life expectancy refers to the number of years that an
individual (born in a particular year / with certain health
characteristics) can expect to live, starting at (any given age / birth).
2. The most common form of dementia is
________________________________, in which structural and
chemical brain deterioration is associated with gradual loss of many
aspects of thought and behavior.
3. True or False: Research shows that memory for remote memory is
clearer than recent events in late life.
4. _______________ was summed up by one researcher as
“expertise in the conduct and meaning of life.”