Chapter 15: Problem 8

Describe what happens to a person's intelligence in middle adulthood.

Short Answer

Expert verified

During middle adulthood, intelligence undergoes a metamorphosis. While certain aspects like crystallized intelligence tend to improve, thanks to a rich accumulation of experiences and learned knowledge, other aspects like fluid intelligence which represents problem-solving and reasoning abilities might decline slightly. However, overall intellectual ability does not diminish, instead, it often expands in particular areas of interest or career-based expertise.

Step by step solution

Understanding Intelligence

The first step is to understand the concept of intelligence. Intelligence is a person's capacity for logic, understanding, self-awareness, learning, emotional knowledge, reasoning, creativity, and problem-solving. It is not a fixed trait, and can be influenced by several factors.

Understanding Middle Adulthood

The second step involves understanding the life stage of middle adulthood, typically considered to be the period between 40 to 65 years of age. This is a stage in life associated with significant changes including physical, psychological and personal transitions.

Analyzing Intelligence in Middle Adulthood

The third step requires analyzing intelligence during middle adulthood. Here, you'd typically consider work from developmental psychologists and their corresponding theories. Generally, in middle adulthood, some aspects of intelligence, such as crystallized intelligence (knowledge and skills accumulated over the lifetime) typically improve, while others like fluid intelligence (the ability to think and reason abstractly and solve problems) might decline.

Articulating the Analysis

Finally, articulate this understanding and analysis into a comprehensive description of changes in a person's intelligence during middle adulthood. Be sure to use references to bolster these points.

Unlock Step-by-Step Solutions & Ace Your Exams!

Full Textbook Solutions
Get detailed explanations and key concepts
Unlimited Al creation
Al flashcards, explanations, exams and more...
Ads-free access
To over 500 millions flashcards
Money-back guarantee
We refund you if you fail your exam.

Start your free trial

Over 30 million students worldwide already upgrade their learning with Vaia!

Recommended explanations on Psychology Textbooks

View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Describe what happens to a person's intelligence in middle adulthood.

Short Answer

Step by step solution

Understanding Intelligence

Understanding Middle Adulthood

Analyzing Intelligence in Middle Adulthood

Articulating the Analysis

One App. One Place for Learning.

Most popular questions from this chapter

Recommended explanations on Psychology Textbooks

Personality in Psychology

Developmental Psychology

Health Psychology

Individual Differences Psychology

Forensic Psychology

Approaches in Psychology

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.