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Workshop on Aging ResearchAPS (May, 2008)
Timothy SalthouseBrown-Forman Professor of Psychology
University of VirginiaCharlottesville, VA 22904
Consensus and Controversiesin Aging Cognition
Outline
Consensus: Increased age is associated with lower levels of performance on many different cognitive variables
Controversies:How many explanations (and interventions) will be required?
How can we avoid rediscovering the same phenomena?
8-10-13-17-22 ___
G-B-F-C-E ___
Raven’s Progressive MatricesWhich pattern in the bottom is the best
completion of the missing cell?
Series CompletionWhich item is the best continuation
of the sequence?
RecallRemember lists of unrelated words
FrogArchDartHoopNeckTrapBootGoldFishMoonWoolClam
Paired AssociatesRemember pairs of unrelated words
rabbit – churchdesk – friendpaper – trucksnake – househorse – chairdragon – library
Memory Reasoning
Spatial Visualization Perceptual Speed
Paper FoldingWhich pattern of holes would result fromthe sequence of folds and hole location?
Spatial RelationsWhich 3-D structure corresponds
to the 2-D pattern?
Digit SymbolWrite the symbols associated with
each digit in the empty boxes
Pattern ComparisonWrite the letter “S” next to pairs
that are the same, and the letter “D” nextto pairs that are different
1 2 3 4 5
3 5 1 4 52 3 1
5 2 4 5 41 2 3
Vocabulary
Provide the definitionWhat does “profligate” mean?
AntonymWhich word means the opposite of somnolent?
a. Solventb. Tranquilc. Energeticd. profitable
Results from Salthouse Studies
Chronological Age
20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Z-S
core
-2.0
-1.5
-1.0
-0.5
0.0
0.5
1.0
RecallVerbal Paired AssociatesRaven's MatricesSeries CompletionPaper FoldingSpatial RelationsDigit SymbolPattern ComparisonWechsler VocabularyAntonym Vocabulary
Cognition vs. Personality Traits
Results from Salthouse Studies
Chronological Age
20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Sta
nd
ard
De
via
tion
s
-2.0
-1.5
-1.0
-0.5
0.0
0.5
1.0
RecallVerbal Paired AssociatesRaven's MatricesSeries CompletionPaper FoldingSpatial RelationsDigit SymbolPattern ComparisonWechsler VocabularyAntonym Vocabulary
(N = 1870)
Chronological Age
20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Z-S
core
-2.0
-1.5
-1.0
-0.5
0.0
0.5
1.0
NeuroticismExtraversionOpennessAgreeablenessConscientiousness
Cognition vs. Negative Affect
Results from Salthouse Studies
Chronological Age
20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Sta
nd
ard
De
via
tion
s
-2.0
-1.5
-1.0
-0.5
0.0
0.5
1.0
RecallVerbal Paired AssociatesRaven's MatricesSeries CompletionPaper FoldingSpatial RelationsDigit SymbolPattern ComparisonWechsler VocabularyAntonym Vocabulary
(N = 1880)
Chronological Age
20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90
Z-S
core
-2.0
-1.5
-1.0
-0.5
0.0
0.5
1.0
DepressionTrait AnxietyPANAS Negative
Age
Consensus:Increased age is associated with lower levelsof many cognitive variables
Are the age-related influences on different cognitive variables independent of one another?
Cross-sectional – moderate to large reduction of the age-related variance in one variable (e.g., V2) after control of the variance in another variable (e.g., V1)
Longitudinal – moderate correlations between measures of change in two variables (e.g., ∆V1 correlated with ∆V2)
Controversy # 1:How many explanations (and interventions) will be required?
Age
Relatively small number ofgeneral influences?
But very unlikely that every cognitive variable requires a separate explanation!
Number of independent age-related influences still not known
How can we ensure that the results with new variables are not merely additional manifestations of what is already known?
Controversy # 2:How can we avoid rediscovering the same
phenomena?
Interpret results of new variables in the context of what has
already been established – Contextual Analysis
Age
TargetVariable
Voc
Reas
Space
Mem
Speed
Context
Controversy # 2:How can we avoid rediscovering the same
phenomena?
Synonym Vocabulary
Antonym Vocabulary
WAIS Vocabulary
WJ Picture Vocabulary
Ravens
Shipley Abstraction
Letter Sets
Spatial Relations
Paper Folding
Form Boards
Free Recall
Paired Associates
Logical Memory
Letter Comparison
Pattern Comparison
Digit Symbol
Voc
Gf
Mem
Speed
Age+.27
-.48
-.47
-.61
Age-related influences on cognitive abilities are well-established
Synonym Vocabulary
Antonym Vocabulary
WAIS Vocabulary
WJ Picture Vocabulary
Ravens
Shipley Abstraction
Letter Sets
Spatial Relations
Paper Folding
Form Boards
Free Recall
Paired Associates
Logical Memory
Letter Comparison
Pattern Comparison
Digit Symbol
Voc
Gf
Mem
Speed
TargetVariable
Age
Ignoring these other influences does not mean that they are not operating
Synonym Vocabulary
Antonym Vocabulary
WAIS Vocabulary
WJ Picture Vocabulary
Ravens
Shipley Abstraction
Letter Sets
Spatial Relations
Paper Folding
Form Boards
Free Recall
Paired Associates
Logical Memory
Letter Comparison
Pattern Comparison
Digit Symbol
Voc
Gf
Mem
Speed
TargetVariable
Age
Unique Age
Relation
Unique age relations by definition represent something distinct from what is already known
Standardized Regression Coefficients
VariableTotal Unique Gf Mem Speed Voc
Age
Simple correlation with age
Semi-partial correlation with age,independent of influences of thecognitive abilities
Relative influence of each cognitive ability
Contextual analysis is also informative about what variables represent
Cognitive Abilities
Standardized Regression Coefficients
PROSPECTIVE MEMORYRed Pencil -.40* -.07 .33* .17 .01 -.15Drawing Classification -.29* -.18 .09 .31* -.10 .07Concept Identification -.21* -.03 .11 .25 -.03 -.05Running Memory -.32* -.15 .07 .28* .05 .08
SOURCE MEMORYWord Color -.24* .09 .35* .37* -.19 -.23Picture Location -.50* -.12 .33* .18 .06 -.19Command Source -.58* -.13 .34* .47* -.10 -.28*Fact Voice -.26* -.13 .17 .47* -.20 .18
VariableTotal Unique Gf Mem Speed Voc
All significant None significant
Age Cognitive Abilities
Standardized Regression Coefficients
EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING
WCST (# categories) -.30* -.22 .22 .12 .02 .25WCST (# categories) -.32* -.07 .36* .12 .07 .06
Tower of Hanoi -.29* .08 .40* .34* -.11 -.24
Category Fluency -.19* .07 -.02 .21 .36* .26*Category Fluency -.21* .24 -.03 .26* .55* .08Category Fluency -.20* .06 -.02 .22* .37* .26*
Figural Fluency -.41* .07 .46* .03 .38* -.09
VariableTotal Unique Gf Mem Speed Voc
All significant None significant
Age Cognitive Abilities
Outline
Consensus: Increased age is associated with lower levels of performance on many different cognitive variables
Controversies:How many explanations (and interventions) will be required?
How can we avoid rediscovering the same phenomena?
Recommendation:Obtain multiple cognitive variables from all participants
Obtain multiple variables from each participant
1) Helps characterize the sampleCan use norms from standardized tests to estimate the representativeness of the sample
2) Can use as additional predictors to investigatethe independence of age-related influences:
- how many explanations will be required- ensure cumulative progress
