Log out Go to App
Go to App

Learning Materials

Features

Discover

Chapter 8: Problem 6

Describe how aging affects memory and how memory can be improved. Memory may appear to decline in middle age, but, in fact, long-term memory deficits are probably as a result of ineffective strategies of storage and retrieval. People categorize and interpret new information according to the schemas they have developed about how the world is organized and operates. Mnemonics help people organize material in ways that improve recall. These formal strategies include getting organized, visualizing, rehearsing paying attention, and using the encoding specificity phenomenon.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Aging does not necessarily lead to declined memory, but rather it's inefficient strategies of storage and retrieval that appear as memory deficits. Memory can be improved by categorizing and interpreting new information via schemas. Strategies such as mnemonics, getting organized, visualizing, rehearsing, paying active attention, and using the encoding specificity phenomenon can help improve memory.

Step by step solution

01

Aging and Memory

With aging, it is commonly believed that memory declines. However, it is often the inefficiency of storage and retrieval strategies that results in the appearance of memory deficits in middle age.
02

Concept of Schemas

Schemas are mental frameworks that people use to categorize and interpret new information. These schemas are based on their understanding and experiences of how the world operates. When new information aligns with pre-existing schemas, it is easier to store and remember.
03

Memory Improvement Strategies - Mnemonics

Mnemonics are formal strategies employed to enhance memory. These are techniques to help individuals categorize and structure information in a way that facilitates efficient recall.
04

Memory Improvement Strategies – Organizing, Visualizing, Rehearsing

Getting organized, visualizing information, and constant rehearsing are effective strategies for memory improvement. These help in actively participating in the learning process which can significantly enhance memory.
05

Memory Improvement Strategies - Paying Attention, Encoding Specificity Phenomenon

Paying active attention to information and making use of the encoding specificity phenomenon (conditions present during learning help in recall) are other strategies which considerably improve memory.

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!

One App. One Place for Learning.

All the tools & learning materials you need for study success - in one app.

Get started for free

Most popular questions from this chapter

Describe typical patterns of marriage and divorce in middle adulthood. Fifty years ago, midlife was similar for most people. Men and women, married since early adulthood, were still married to each other. One hundred years ago, when life expectancy was much shorter, people in their 40 s were usually married - but not necessarily to the people they had first married. Spouses often died; people might be well into their second marriage by middle age. Today, the story is different and more varied. More people are single at midlife, having never married. Single people may live alone or with a partner. Gay and lesbian adults may have committed relationships and may be married. Among heterosexuals, some have divorced, lived alone, and then remarried. Many people's marriages end in divorce, and many families "blend" together into new households, containing children and stepchildren from previous marriages. Some couples still spend 40 to 50 years together, the bulk of those years during middle adulthood. Many experience the peak of marital satisfaction during middle age.

Describe the benefits and challenges of work life in middle adulthood. For many, productivity, success, and earning power are greatest in middle age, but occupational success may become far less alluring than it once was. This is particularly true for those who have not achieved the career success they had hoped for. In such cases, family and other off-the-job interests become more important than work (Howard, \(1992 ;\) Simonton, 1997 ). WORK AND CAREERS: JOBS AT MIDLIFE The factors that make a job satisfying change during middle age. Younger adults focus on abstract and future-oriented concerns, such as the opportunity for advancement or the possibility of recognition and approval. Middle-aged employees care more about the here-and- now qualities of work. They are more concerned with pay, working conditions, and specific policies, such as how vacation time is calculated. As at previous stages of life, changes in overall job quality are associated with changes in stress levels for both men and women (Peterson \& Wilson, \(2004 ;\) Cohrs, Abele, \& Dette, 2006; Rantanen et al., 2012; Hamlet \& Herrick, 2014\()\). In general, though, the relationship between age and work is positive: The older workers are, the more overall job satisfaction they experience. This is not altogether surprising, because younger adults who are dissatisfied with their jobs will quit them and find new positions that they like better. Also, because older workers have fewer opportunities to change jobs, they may learn to live with what they have and accept that it is the best they are likely to get. Such acceptance may ultimately translate into satisfaction (Tangri, Thomas, \& Mednick, 2003).

Analyze changes in the nature and use of intelligence in middle adulthood. The question of whether intelligence declines in middle adulthood is complicated by limitations in cross-sectional studies and longitudinal studies. Intelligence appears to be divided into components, some of which decline, whereas others hold steady or even improve. In general, cognitive competence in middle adulthood holds fairly steady despite declines in some areas of intellectual functioning. Many people develop strategies to optimize their intellectual performance as they age, often concentrating on particular skill areas to make up for declines in other areas, a process called selective optimization with compensation. Expertise the skill or knowledge acquired in a particular area-develops as people devote attention and practice to a subject or skill and, in so doing, gain experience.

Analyze whether personality is stable or changes over the life span. Harry Hennesey, age 53 and a vice president of an investment banking firm, says he still feels like a kid. Many middle-aged adults would agree. Although most people say they have changed a good deal since adolescence- and mostly for the better-many also perceive important similarities in basic personality traits between their present and younger selves. The degree to which personality is stable across the life span or changes as we age is a major issue of personality development in middle adulthood. Theorists such as Erikson and Levinson clearly suggest that substantial change occurs over time. Erikson's stages and Levinson's seasons describe set patterns of change. The change may be predictable and age related, but it is substantial. An impressive body of research, however, suggests that for individual traits, personality is quite stable and continuous over the life span. Developmental psychologists Paul Costa and Robert MoCrae find remarkable stability in particular traits. Eventempered 20-year-olds are even-tempered at age 75 ; affectionate 25 -year-olds become affectionate 50 -year-olds; and disorganized 26 -year-olds are still disorganized at age 60\. Similarly, self-concept at age 30 is a good indication of self-concept at age \(80 .\) In fact, traits may become more ingrained as people age (Terracciano, McCrae, \&c Costa, 2009 ; Mottus, Johnson, \& Deary, \(2012 ;\) Curtis, Windsor, \& Soubelet, \(2015 ;\) also see Figure \(8-7\) ). STABILITY AND CHANGE IN THE "BIG FIVE" PERSONALITYTRAITS Quite a bit of research has centered on the personality traits known as the "Big Five" -because they represent the five major clusters of personality characteristics. These are: \- Neuroticism, the degree to which a person is moody, anxious, and self- critical \- Extraversion, how outgoing or shy a person is \- Openness, a person's level of curiosity and interest in new experiences \- Agreeableness, how easygoing and helpful a person tends to be \- Conscientiousness, a person's tendencies to be organized and responsible

In normative-crisis models, people pass through agerelated stages of development; life events models focus on how people change in response to various life events. Erikson characterizes midlife as a time spent either in generativity or stagnation. Vaillant, Gould, and Levinson offer alternatives to Erikson's views. Levinson argues that the transition to middle age can lead to a midlife crisis, but there is little evidence for this in the majority of people.
See all solutions

Recommended explanations on Psychology Textbooks

Gender

Read Explanation

Social Context of Behaviour

Read Explanation

Aggression

Read Explanation

Forensic Psychology

Read Explanation

Research Methods in Psychology

Read Explanation

Careers in Psychology

Read Explanation
View all explanations

What do you think about this solution?

We value your feedback to improve our textbook solutions.

Study anywhere. Anytime. Across all devices.

Sign-up for free