Module 62 REVIEW

• 62-1 How does aging affect crystallized and fluid intelligence?

• Cross-sectional studies and longitudinal studies have shown that fluid intelligence declines in older adults, in part because neural processing slows. Crystallized intelligence tends to increase.

• 62-2 What are cross-sectional studies and longitudinal studies, and why is it important to know which method was used?

• Cross-sectional studies compare people of different ages at the same point in time. Longitudinal studies follow and retest the same cohort over a period of years.
• Cross-sectional studies also compare people of different eras and life circumstances. This can provide an excellent snapshot of a particular point in time, but longitudinal studies are better equipped to trace the evolution of traits over a longer time period.

• 62-3 How stable are intelligence test scores over the life span?

• The stability of intelligence test scores increases with age.
  • At age 4, scores fluctuate somewhat but begin to predict adolescent and adult scores.
  • By early adolescence, scores are very stable and predictive.

• 62-4 What are the traits of those at the low and high intelligence extremes?

• An intelligence test score of or below 70 is one diagnostic criterion for the diagnosis of intellectual disability (others are limited conceptual, social, and practical skills).
• Down syndrome, a developmental disorder caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21, is one known physical cause of intellectual disability.
• High-scoring people tend to be healthy and well-adjusted, as well as unusually successful academically.
  • Schools sometimes “track” such children, separating them from students with lower scores. Such programs can become self-fulfilling prophecies as both groups live up to—or down to—others’ perceptions and expectations.

Multiple-Choice Questions

1. Which of the following is a longitudinal study?
   1. Researchers test the intelligence of all the students in a high school.
   2. Intelligence tests are given to the residents of a nursing home.
   3. Researchers randomly select 50 students from a high school with 2000 students. The 50 students are given intelligence tests.
   4. A group of college juniors is given an extensive battery of tests over a period of 2 days.
   5. A group of kindergartners is given an intelligence test. They are retested every other year for 30 years.
2. Which of the following best represents crystallized intelligence?
   1. Jake can solve math word problems quickly.
   2. Grandpa Milt is good at crossword puzzles.
   3. Aliyah has a knack for training dogs.
   4. Anna writes creative computer programs.
   5. Heng takes a different route each day on his walk.
3. Hal scored an 89 on an intelligence test when he was 16. Now, at age 56, he is interested in what his score would be as an adult. The score he is most likely to earn on the new test would be
   1. 49.
   2. 70.
   3. 92.
   4. 129.
   5. 140.
4. Intellectual disability is defined by both IQ and which of the following?
   1. Chronological age
   2. Mental age
   3. Adaptive ability
   4. Physical condition
   5. Heritability

Practice FRQs

1. Describe how each of the following types of evidence are used to determine whether there is an intellectual decline as people age.
   • Evidence from cross-sectional studies
   • Evidence from longitudinal studies

Answer

2 points: Cross-sectional studies would test people from several age groups at once. This type of study would examine a group of younger people and a group of older people at one point in time and compare their test scores to see if those in the older group had lower scores. Page 641

2 points: Longitudinal studies would test the same group of people periodically over a long period of time. This type of study would compare individuals’ test scores at varying ages to see if there is a decline as the participants grow older. Page 641

2. Provide three pieces of evidence that explain why more intelligent people might live longer.

(3 points)