Cognition, Aging and Self-Reports

by Schwarz,Norbert

• ISBN13: 9781560327806
• ISBN10: 1560327804
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1998-07-01
• Publisher: Psychology Pres

Summary

This book provides a state-of-the-art overview of age-related changes in cognitive functioning and explores the implications of these changes for the self-report of attitudes and behaviors. The contributors are leading researchers in cognitive aging and survey methodology, and chapters are written to be accessible to non-specialists. The first part of the book provides an authoritative review of the current state of cognitive aging research, covering topics such as working memory, inhibition, autobiographical memory, metacognition, and attention. A second section examines the unique issues associated with aging, language comprehension and interpersonal communication, while the final section reviews researcher into age-related differences in survey responding. Of particular interest is how age-related changes in cognitive and communicative functioning influence the question-answering process in research situations. Experimental research illustrates that older and younger respondents are differentiallyaffected by question order, question wording and other features of questionnaire design. As a result, many age-related differences in reported attitudes and behaviors may reflect age-related differences in the response process rather than differences in respondents' actual attitudes or behaviors. Implications for research design and psychological theorizing are addressed, and practical solutions are offered. As such, the book will be of interest not only to those in the fields of cognitive aging and gerontology, but also to survey methodologists and researchers in public opinion, marketing, and related fields, who rely on respondents' answers to questions in their research.

Table of Contents

Contributors
Acknowledgments
Cognition, Aging, and Self-Reports: Editors' Introduction	p. 1
Self-Reports of Behaviors and Opinions: Cognitive and Communicative Processes	p. 17
Cognitive Aging, Processing Resources, and Self-Report	p. 45
The Concept of Gains in Cognitive Aging	p. 71
Memory, Aging, and Survey Measurement	p. 95
Aging, Circadian Arousal Patterns, and Cognition	p. 117
Metamemory as Social Cognition: Challenges for (and from) Survey Research	p. 145
Autobiographical Memory and Aging: Distributions of Memories Across the Life-Span and Their Implications for Survey Research	p. 163
Pressing Issues in Cognitive Aging	p. 185
Comprehending Spoken Questions: Effects of Cognitive and Sensory Change in Adult Aging	p. 201
Aging and Message Production and Comprehension	p. 229
Intergenerational Communication: The Survey Interview as a Social Exchange	p. 245
Asking Survey Respondents About Health Status: Judgment and Response Issues	p. 265
Cognitive Testing of Cognitive Functioning Questions	p. 285
Dynamics of Survey Interviewing and the Quality of Survey Reports: Age Comparisons	p. 303
Cognitive Performance Measures in Survey Research on Older Adults	p. 327
Age Differences in Question and Response Order Effects	p. 341
Aging and Errors of Measurement: Implications for the Study of Life-Span Development	p. 365
Index	p. 387
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