Studies suggest age-related
declines may be overestimated
Researchers at North Carolina State
University believe that age-related declines in memory and cognitive
functioning may not be as pronounced as once believed. Dr. Thomas Hess,
professor of psychology at NC State, says pessimistic notions of changes
in mental abilities associated with growing older may be attributed in
part to how early studies into cognition and aging were conducted.
Hess's research is part of a three-year study into stereotype threat,
aging and memory.
"Negative stereotypes that exist
about aging have negative effects on people's sense of well-being and
the extent to which people fear getting older," says Hess.
"It's quite evident that most people over the age of 65 are
functioning on their own, living on their own and doing quite well.
Although some basic aspects of cognitive ability decline as we age,
functioning is preserved in many contexts, and there are some areas that
actually improve as you get older. These findings give us a more
realistic view of how people adapt to the aging process, and what their
functioning is like in everyday life."
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