What needs to be explained to account for age-related effects on multiple cognitive variables?
Structural equation methodology was used to investigate age-related influences across a number of cognitive variables in 204 adults ranging from 18 to 91 years of age with a hierarchical structure that contained 4 1st-order factors and 1 2nd-order common factor. Direct age relations were found to the common factor as well as to 1st-order speed and memory factors. Replicability of the findings was explored by investigating the same structure of age relations, using 2 different data sets, and a similar patten was found in each. These results suggest that at least 3 statistically distinct types of age-related influences are operating on a wide variety of cognitive variables and presumably require separate explanatory mechanisms.
Salthouse
Timothy A
TA
Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville 22904-4400, USA. salthouse@virginia.edu
Ferrer-Caja
Emilio
E
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D003071:Cognition; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis