Memory Change in the Aged

by David F. Hultsch , Christopher Hertzog , Roger A. Dixon , Brent J. Small

• ISBN13: 9780521473613
• ISBN10: 0521473616
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1998-11-13
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Summary

This monograph examines the theoretical and methodological issues related to aging in the Victoria Longitudinal Study.

Table of Contents

List of tables and figures	xi	(4)
Acknowledgments	xv
1. Introduction	1	(7)
The Victoria Longitudinal Study	3	(3)
Focus on memory change	4	(1)
Predictors of memory change	4	(1)
Objectives of the VLS	5	(1)
Plan of the monograph	6	(2)
2. Theoretical issues and perspectives	8	(16)
Why is memory aging of interest?	10	(2)
Theoretical issues	12	(12)
Core developmental issues in memory aging	13	(6)
Scope of issues considered in the VLS	19	(1)
Major developmental theoretical clusters: application to memory and aging	19	(2)
Application of models to the VLS	21	(3)
3. Theory and research on memory and aging	24	(28)
General memory systems	24	(3)
Aging of memory systems	27	(12)
Implicit memory	27	(2)
Semantic memory	29	(5)
Episodic memory	34	(5)
Predictors of memory change in the aged	39	(13)
Processing resources	40	(7)
Knowledge structures and processes	47	(2)
Contextual variables related to memory aging	49	(1)
Continuum of predictors	50	(2)
4. Method of the Victoria Longitudinal Study	52	(32)
Design	52	(6)
The longitudinal sequence	52	(2)
Retest interval	54	(1)
Indexing age and cohort	55	(1)
Counterbalancing plan	55	(2)
Changes in measures across occasions	57	(1)
Participants	58	(8)
Sample recruitment	58	(1)
Sample size	58	(1)
Sample attrition	59	(2)
Age/cohort grouping	61	(1)
Sample characteristics	62	(4)
Measures	66	(14)
Memory measures	70	(4)
Cognitive predictors	74	(6)
Other measures	80	(1)
Procedure	80	(2)
Data preparation	82	(2)
Imputation of missing data	82	(1)
Score transformation	83	(1)
5. Measurement model and methodological analyses	84	(21)
Cognitive measurement models	84	(4)
Measurement model for Time 1	85	(3)
Simultaneous factor analysis in two age/cohort groups	88	(6)
Measurement models for Times 2 and 3	92	(2)
Conclusions	94	(1)
Selective attrition and practice effects	94	(10)
Assessment of attrition effects	97	(4)
Assessment of practice effects	101	(3)
Conclusions	104	(1)
6. Age, cohort, and period effects on cognition	105	(43)
Age-related trajectories of cognitive performance	106	(7)
Intelligence	107	(2)
Episodic memory	109	(2)
Processing resources	111	(2)
Age-related changes and cohort differences	113	(2)
Application of additive effects models to the VLS	115	(29)
Caveats	117	(2)
Design	119	(2)
Evaluation of models	121	(1)
Generic models	122	(1)
Goodness-of-fit for restricted models	123	(5)
Basic processing components	128	(7)
Verbal abilities	135	(3)
Memory tasks	138	(6)
Conclusions	144	(4)
7. Predicting age differences in memory	148	(27)
Mediators of age differences	149	(11)
The concept of components	149	(1)
Localization of age-related effects	150	(1)
Processing resource perspectives	151	(9)
Moderation of age differences	160	(3)
Using structural equation models to evaluate processing resource hypotheses	163	(11)
SEM models a full system of relationships	164	(2)
SEM adjusts for measurement error	166	(3)
SEM provides a better method for representing mediation	169	(1)
Interaction effects in SEM	170	(1)
Differentiating moderation (interaction) from mediation	171	(3)
SEM applications for aging, resources, and memory performance	174	(1)
8. Cross-sectional models in the VLS	175	(40)
Time 1 models for predicting word and text recall	175	(13)
Basic resource models	175	(7)
Models with comprehension variables	182	(6)
Simultaneous models for young-old and old-old groups	188	(5)
Basic resource models	189	(3)
Models with comprehension variables	192	(1)
Replication of models at Time 2	193	(15)
Models with sentence construction and number tracking	193	(6)
Models with different working memory measures	199	(9)
Conclusions	208	(7)
9. Predicting age changes in memory	215	(21)
An individual differences perspective	215	(8)
The concepts of stability and change	218	(3)
The problem of measurement error	221	(2)
Methods for modeling individual differences in cognitive change	223	(7)
Longitudinal factor models	223	(3)
Latent change models	226	(4)
Evidence for individual differences in adult cognitive change	230	(6)
Univariate stability and change	230	(3)
Correlations of change across variables	233	(3)
10. Longitudinal models in the VLS	236	(33)
Longitudinal factor models	237	(12)
Initial longitudinal factor analysis model	237	(6)
Variability in latent cognitive change	243	(3)
Relationships between latent variables over time	246	(3)
Longitudinal change models	249	(7)
Individual differences in change	250	(1)
Relationships among latent change factors	250	(3)
Regression of change on age, education, and gender	253	(3)
Structural models for latent cognitive change	256	(8)
Common factor models of cognitive change	257	(4)
Cognitive resource path models	261	(3)
Conclusions	264	(5)
11. Conclusions	269	(14)
It's aging, not cohort differences	270	(1)
Some processes are impaired and some are spared, but...	270	(2)
There are substantial individual differences in cognitive change	272	(2)
A general processing model alone is not adequate	274	(3)
There are discontinuities in predicting age differences and age changes in memory	277	(1)
Is latent cognitive change neurobiological in origin?	278	(3)
Future directions	281	(2)
Appendix: Input programs	283	(2)
References	285	(34)
Author index	319	(6)
Subject index	325