Work

Developmental change and intraindividual variability: Relating cognitive aging to cognitive plasticity, cardiovascular lability, and emotional diversity.

Year: 2011

Type: article

Abstract: Repeated assessments obtained over years can be used to measure individuals' developmental change, whereas repeated assessments obtained over a few weeks can be used to measure individuals' dynamic characteristics. Using data from a burst of measurement embedded in the Berlin Aging Study (BASE; Baltes & Mayer, 1999), we illustrate and examine how long-term changes in cognitive ability are related to short-term changes in cognitive performance, cardiovascular function, and emotional experience. Our findings suggest that "better" cognitive aging over approximately 13 years was associated with greater cognitive plasticity, less cardiovascular lability, and less emotional diversity over approximately 2 weeks at age 90 years. The study highlights the potential benefits of multi-time scale longitudinal designs for the study of individual function and development.

Source: Psychology and Aging

DOI: 10.1037/a0021500

Authors: Nilam Ram, Denis Gerstorf, Ulman Lindenberger, Jacqui Smith

Institutions: Pennsylvania State University, Max Planck Society, Max Planck Institute for Human Development

Language: English

Topic: Aging and Gerontology Research

Subfield: Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funders: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Freie Universität Berlin, Max-Planck-Institut für Bildungsforschung, National Institute on Aging