Chapter 21 Introduction

Adulthood: Cognitive Development

  • What Is Intelligence?
    • Research on Age and Intelligence
    • Cross-Sequential Research
  • Components of Intelligence: Many and Varied
    • Two Clusters of Intelligence
    • Three Forms of Intelligence
    • Age and Culture
    • OPPOSING PERSPECTIVES: What Makes a Good Parent?
  • Selective Gains and Losses
    • Accumulating Stressors
    • A CASE TO STUDY: Coping with Katrina
    • Optimization with Compensation
    • Expert Cognition

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© David Burch/age fotostock

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WHAT WILL YOU KNOW?

  1. Why does each generation think it is smarter than earlier generations?

    Recent cohorts always outscore previous ones on intelligence tests—this is the Flynn effect. Because the culture moves forward with the most recent generation, younger people often view older people’s lack of knowledge of current styles, media, and fads as lack of general intelligence. Wisdom prevents the older adults from disputing the younger adults’ beliefs.

  2. Why does each older generation think it knows more than younger generations?

    Because crystallized intelligence increases with age, older generations have more facts and information stored than younger generations. When a younger adult is unaware of a fact that an older adult takes for granted, the older person may despair over the state of the younger generation’s knowledge.

  3. What aspects of thinking improve during the years of adulthood?

    Scores on tests of practical intelligence are steadier than scores on other kinds of tests from age 20 to 70, with no notable decrement, in part because these skills are needed throughout life. Flexibility is needed for practical intelligence. Ideally, practical intelligence continues to be refined throughout adulthood as each new experience provides practice.

  4. Is everyone an expert at something?

    Everyone can develop expertise, but expertise is not innate. Expertise in a particular skill, topic, or task requires an accumulation of knowledge, practice, and experience. Expertise takes time and mass practice to develop.

One of my daughters was on the search committee for selecting the new college president and is delighted with the chosen new leader. He came from outside academia and took a huge pay cut to accept the appointment. He is improving the institution in many ways.

“You must be glad they selected the one you wanted,” I said.

“He’s not the one I wanted. I didn’t even want to interview him. Others on the committee outvoted me; I am glad they did.”

She was unimpressed with his paper resume because she is a scholar and he had few publications. But she listened to others’ assessments, thought again about her criteria, and now is thrilled with his performance.

Her approach during the selection process illustrates adult cognition at its best. Adults have ideas, quite logical ones, but they also learn to listen to other people. We each have areas of knowledge in which we are experts, but as adults we consider other minds, experiences, and emotions.

As you read this chapter, you will realize that cognition is multifaceted. Some abilities improve with age; others do not. Each person becomes an expert at particular skills and knowledge, downplaying other abilities. Ideally, cognition improves, and we all become better able to appreciate our own intelligence and that of everyone else.

Remember that many research strategies are used to describe cognition beginning at age 18 and extending into old age. Chapter 18 described postformal thinking as well as the impact of college. Chapter 24 will take an information-processing perspective, highlighting the aspects of processing that slow down, and describing dementia. This chapter takes a psychometric approach (metric means “measure”; psychometric refers to the measurement of psychological characteristics) and considers various kinds of intelligence, including those that produce experts of one sort or another.

I am proud that my adult daughter realized that the new leader is smart and talented in many ways, just not in the areas familiar to her. That is part of expertise.