Cognitive Research in Aging

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Cognitive Research in Aging Timothy A.
Salthouse University of Virginia
Supported by NIA Grants RO1 AG 19627 and R37 AG
24270.
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Two major parts of the talk

• What, When, Where, Why, How
• Ensuring cumulative progress

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What
Common Assumptions Primarily memory Small
effects Only some people Not within-person
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Not just memory
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Memory Study the following words and then write
as many as you can remember
Reasoning Select the best completion of the
missing cell in the matrix
Goat Door Fish Desk Rope Lake Boot Frog Soup Mule
Spatial Visualization Select the object on the
right that corresponds to the pattern on the left
Perceptual Speed Classify the pairs as same (S)
or different (D) as quickly as possible
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Salthouse Studies
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When
Not just late Even with knowledge
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Salthouse Data Speed Vocabulary
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Where
Different perspectives on localization Neuroanat
omical region Processing stages Organizational
structure of abilities
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Age
Hypothetical (Latent) Constructs
Observed Variables
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Common
Reas
Space
Mem
Speed
Voc
Digit Symbol
Form Boards
Paper Folding
Spatial Relations
Letter Comparison
Pattern Comparison
Ravens
Letter Sets
Free Recall
Logical Memory
Paired Associates
WAIS Vocabulary
Shipley Abstraction
Antonym Vocabulary
Synonym Vocabulary
WJ Picture Vocabulary
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Age
-.46
Common
-.16
-.31
.63
Reas
Space
Mem
Speed
Voc
Digit Symbol
Form Boards
Paper Folding
Spatial Relations
Letter Comparison
Pattern Comparison
Ravens
Letter Sets
Free Recall
Logical Memory
Paired Associates
WAIS Vocabulary
Shipley Abstraction
Antonym Vocabulary
Synonym Vocabulary
WJ Picture Vocabulary
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Why How
How can causal developmental hypotheses be
investigated?
Proposal A true cause should alter the
developmental trajectory Definitive
Intervention Suggestive Statistical Mediation
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What we already know.
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(No Transcript)
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Synonym Vocabulary
Antonym Vocabulary
.27
Voc
WAIS Vocabulary
Age
WJ Picture Vocabulary
-.47
Ravens
Reas
Shipley Abstraction
-.40
Letter Sets
Spatial Relations
-.47
Space
Paper Folding
Form Boards
-.61
Free Recall
Mem
Paired Associates
Logical Memory
Context within which other variables should be
investigated
Letter Comparison
Speed
Pattern Comparison
Digit Symbol
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Ensure cumulative progress by relying on the
established context when investigating Individu
al Variables
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Synonym Vocabulary
Antonym Vocabulary
Voc
WAIS Vocabulary
Age
WJ Picture Vocabulary
Total Age Relation
Ravens
Reas
Shipley Abstraction
Letter Sets
Spatial Relations
Target Variable
Space
Paper Folding
Form Boards
Free Recall
Mem
Paired Associates
Logical Memory
Letter Comparison
Speed
Pattern Comparison
Digit Symbol
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Synonym Vocabulary
Antonym Vocabulary
Voc
WAIS Vocabulary
Age
WJ Picture Vocabulary
Unique Age Relation
Ravens
Reas
Shipley Abstraction
Letter Sets
Spatial Relations
Target Variable
Space
Paper Folding
Form Boards
Free Recall
Mem
Paired Associates
Logical Memory
Letter Comparison
Speed
Pattern Comparison
Digit Symbol
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Synonym Vocabulary
Antonym Vocabulary
Voc
WAIS Vocabulary
WJ Picture Vocabulary
What do variables represent?
Ravens
Reas
Shipley Abstraction
Letter Sets
Spatial Relations
Target Variable
Space
Paper Folding
Form Boards
Free Recall
Mem
Paired Associates
Logical Memory
Letter Comparison
Speed
Pattern Comparison
Digit Symbol
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Standardized Regression Coefficients
Decision Making Variables
Variable
Age Total Unique Voc Reas
Space Mem Speed
? ? ? ? ? ? ?
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Ensure cumulative progress by relying on the
established context when investigating Individu
al Variables New Constructs
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Indicator Variables
Construct Loadings
Latent Constructs
Construct Correlations
Error Variance
Convergent Validity
Strong
???
Weak
Ravens
Discriminant Validity
Reas
Shipley Abstraction
Letter Sets
Spatial Relations
Space
Paper Folding
Form Boards
Free Recall
Memory
Paired Associates
Logical Memory
Digit Symbol
Speed
Letter Comparison
Pattern Comparison
WAIS Vocabulary
WJ Picture Vocabulary
Vocab
Synonym Vocabulary
Antonym Vocabulary
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Indicator Variables
Construct Loadings
Latent Constructs
Construct Correlations
Error Variance
Decision Making?
Reference Constructs
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Summary

• We know quite a bit about the what and when
• of cognitive aging
• This information should be taken into
  consideration
• in future research in investigating
• - unique age relations on variables or
  constructs
• - validity of new constructs