title: Stability and change in typical intellectual engagement in old age across 5 years.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Typical intellectual engagement (TIE) is related to cognitive development across the life span, but the development of TIE itself has not been examined. In the present study, structural change, differential change, absolute change, stability of divergence, and the generality of changes in the 4 TIE-factors abstract thinking, problem solving, reading, and intellectual curiosity across 5 years were examined in older adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data came from the Zurich Longitudinal Study on Cognitive Aging. Two hundred and thirty-three individuals, 73 years on average at first measurement occasion (2005), were reassessed after 5 years. Confirmatory factor analyses and latent change score models were applied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Factor covariances were equal across time, implying structural stability. Coefficients for differential stability were around .80, implying small significant mean-level changes for problem solving and intellectual curiosity. No changes in divergence emerged. Change correlations between the factors were in the medium to large range.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Across 5 years, TIE remained relatively stable on a group level. However, pronounced interindividual differences emerged. Also, although the changes in factors shared a substantial amount of variance, the development of the factors was not completely parallel.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland. a.mascherek@psychologie.uzh.ch
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mascherek
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zimprich
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D003071:Cognition; D005106:Exploratory Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011340:Problem Solving; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011932:Reading; D013850:Thinking