Intelligence Dynamics

Aging and Intelligence Do our intellectual abilities decline over time? Do they remain constant? Research has developed over time

Aging and Intelligence Phase 1: Cross Section for Decline Test & compare varying age groups Older adults consistently gave fewer correct answers than younger “the decline of mental ability with age is part of the general [aging] process” Corporations started mandatory retirement programs

Aging and Intelligence Phase 2: Longitudinal for Stability – Test the same cohort (group of people from a given time period) – Started college student in the 1920’s – Found intelligence remained stable or increased until late in life

Aging and Intelligence Why the difference between Cross-Section and Longitudinal? – Cross-section didn’t just test different ages, but also different eras – Born in early 1900’s vs born after 1950 Large family vs small family Less affluent (depression) vs more affluent – Belief that intelligence declines with age was dispelled as a myth – But wait…there’s more

Aging and Intelligence Phase 3: It all depends – If there is “proof” and argument over 2 opposing sets of facts – something’s wrong! – Maybe those that lived long enough to do the longitudinal were just the bright & healthy ones – Crystalized intelligence: our accumulated knowledge and verbal skills tend to increase with age (Seniors are better at crossword puzzles) – Fluid intelligence: our ability to reason speedily an abstractly; tend to decrease during late adulthood

Stability Over Lifespan By age 4 – performance on IQ test start to be predictive of later life Deary Study – Study in Scotland tested all 11 year olds and later the 542 surviving 80 year olds – High scoring 11 year more likely to live on their own as 77 year olds less likely to have suffered from Alzheimer’s – More intelligent children & adults live longer

Extremes of Intelligence Low Extreme Intellectual disability (mental retardation) – limited mental ability, IQ score less than 70 and difficulty adapting to life Adaptive behaviors – Conceptual skills: language, literacy, money, time – Social skills: Interpersonal, social responsibility, follow rules – Practical skills: Personal care, occupational skill, travel, health care

Extremes of Intelligence Low Extreme Recognized before age 18 Sometimes with a physical cause – Down Syndrome Caused by extra chromosome 21 Mild to severe intellectual disability Those with IQ near 70 cannot be executed, courts ruled it “cruel and unusual punishment”

High Extreme Terman studied 1500 California kids with IQ’s over 135 – Healthy, well-adjusted, unusually academically successful – Not maladjusted or socially awkward Critics of Talented and Gifted programs say they widen the gap by not giving “ungifted” students the same opportunity – Can promote segregation & prejudice because minority and low-income more often placed in lower academic groups.