This Week, You Will Analyze The Nature Of Cognitive Developm ✓ Solved

This week, you will analyze the nature of cognitive development

This week, you will analyze the nature of cognitive development within the context of adulthood. You will also be introduced to the Seattle Longitudinal Study, a dataset that has tracked cognitive development since 1956. You will gain experience reviewing an article based on data from this dataset.

Learning Objectives Students will:

  • Analyze cognitive development throughout adulthood
  • Evaluate an article related to the Seattle Longitudinal Study research literature
  • Identify concepts, principles, and processes related to cognitive development throughout the different phases of adulthood

Required Readings

  • Arnett, J. J., & Jensen, L. A. (2019). Human development: A cultural approach (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
  • Chapter 10, “Young Adulthood”
  • Chapter 11, “Middle Adulthood”
  • Chapter 12, “Late Adulthood”
  • Park, D. C., & Bischof, G. N. (2013). The aging mind: Neuroplasticity in response to cognitive training. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 15(1), 109–119.
  • Park, D. C., et al. (2014). The impact of sustained engagement on cognitive function in older adults: The Synapse project. Psychological Science, 25(1), 103–112.
  • Schaie, K. W., & Willis, S. L. (2010). The Seattle Longitudinal Study of Adult Cognitive Development. ISSBD Bulletin, 57(1), 24–29.
  • Harmon, K. (2011). Background noise: Elderly drivers might have a brain region to blame for declining driving skills.
  • Purdue University. (n.d.). Purdue OWL: APA formatting and style guide.

This discussion is due by Tuesday 10/20. Main Discussion

Arnett (2019) examines many aspects of cognitive development throughout the process of adulthood, including expertise, creativity, intelligence, processing speed, attention, memory, and wisdom. Each of these aspects represents different kinds of cognitive development, with unique impacts on an individual’s ability to function and thrive. While there can be certain milestones or benchmarks for cognitive development, individuals may exhibit traits that are higher than average in some respects or lower in others. It is important to understand the whole picture of cognitive development and each individual as a complex system of capabilities.

To prepare, consider the different aspects of cognitive development described in the Arnett (2019) course text, and review the resources from Park and Bischof (2013), Park et al. (2014), and Harmon (2011). Consider how these aspects can change throughout the different stages of adulthood. By Day 3, post an analysis of how cognitive abilities develop and change throughout adulthood. Your analysis should include the following:

  • Identify a specific area of cognitive development.
  • Describe how this cognitive ability is typically measured in research and practice.
  • Describe how this ability changes in each stage of adulthood (e.g., emerging, early, middle, and late), and during which stage the most change occurs.
  • Provide an example from your personal or professional experience of an individual that demonstrates a higher or lower than average capability of your chosen cognitive ability.
  • How does this person’s ability support the idea that this area of cognitive ability changes throughout adult development?

Response Instructions: Support your reply to a colleague’s assignment post with at least one reference (textbook or other scholarly, empirical resources). You may state your opinion and/or provide personal examples; however, you must also back up your assertions with evidence from the source and provide a reference. Be sure to choose a colleague that chosen a different cognitive ability than yourself.

This assignment is due no later than Saturday 10/31.

Assignment: Seattle Longitudinal Study Article Review

In 1956, Dr. K. Warner Schaie began collecting longitudinal data on intelligence in adulthood in Washington state. Later, Dr. Sherry Willis joined him. Since the study began, they’ve collected data on more than 6,000 people, now three generations worth. This is one of the biggest and most published datasets in the area of cognitive development at present. Other researchers can access the data and do their own studies about what the data mean. This week you will be reviewing one of those studies in an article critique.

To prepare, first choose an article from the provided link. Select one article that will be the basis of your article review. Refer to the “Article Review Template” provided for further instructions and requirements to complete this Assignment. By Day 7, submit your completed Seattle Longitudinal Study Article Review Template.

In reviewing the chosen article, follow the provided headings. Your responses to questions must be in your own words. There should be no quotes from the article included in your review. Refer to the guidelines from the Purdue OWL site for creating the APA-style reference.

  • APA-Style Reference
  • Hypotheses: What hypotheses were investigated in this study?
  • Participants: Who were the participants in the sample? Describe their ages and other relevant demographics.
  • Instruments: What tests or questionnaires were used in the study?
  • Procedures: How was the study conducted? What did the researchers do?
  • Results: What did the author(s) of the study discover?
  • Discussion: What does this study add to the larger SLS project literature?
  • Strengths of the Research: What was interesting, revealing, or “good” about this article?
  • Limitations of the Research: What was left unexplained by this research?
  • Confusions: Discuss confusing aspects of the study; what was unclear or not easy to follow?
  • Critique: What are your own thoughts about the results and conclusions of the article?

Paper For Above Instructions

Cognitive development is a multifaceted process that significantly evolves throughout adulthood. The Seattle Longitudinal Study (SLS), which has provided extensive insights into this area, highlights how various cognitive abilities fluctuate as individuals age. This paper will focus on the aspect of “memory” as a key area of cognitive functioning shaped by both biological and environmental factors throughout the stages of adulthood.

Memory can be measured through a variety of methodologies including self-reports, standardized tests like the Wechsler Memory Scale, and assessments that evaluate both short-term and long-term memory capabilities. In research, it could also involve tasks that specifically assess recall and recognition abilities, such as word-list tasks, which measure how well individuals can remember information over varying spans of time. Understanding these measurements allows researchers to comprehend the changes that occur in memory capacity and function throughout adulthood.

Memory undergoes considerable changes through the different phases of adulthood: emerging adulthood (ages 18-25), early adulthood (ages 26-40), middle adulthood (ages 41-65), and late adulthood (ages 66 and older). Research indicates that in emerging adulthood, cognitive capacities including memory peak as individuals consolidate academic and occupational knowledge. As they transition into early adulthood, memory remains relatively stable, although some aspects of processing speed begin to decline. In middle adulthood, individuals might start noticing slight declines in memory, particularly in the ability to quickly recall names or dates. However, this can be mitigated by practical experience and expertise in certain areas. Late adulthood often sees more pronounced declines in memory function, most commonly in episodic memory, where individuals have difficulty recalling specific events. The most notable changes in memory typically occur during late adulthood due to neurodegenerative processes which can impact both short-term and long-term memory.

An example from personal experience can elucidate these changes. I have a family member who has always excelled in memory tasks, demonstrating exceptional recall abilities well into their early sixties. They were known for their aptitude in trivia and fact retention. However, as they entered their late sixties, I noticed a marked decline in their ability to remember recent events and names. This observation is consistent with the findings of the SLS, which suggest that while some memory capabilities can remain intact longer, significant changes often surface in late adulthood. This individual’s diminishing memory capability underscores the notion that memory is mutable and that adults can experience varying degrees of cognitive development based on their experiences and age-related changes.

The recognition of how cognitive abilities like memory can change throughout adulthood not only highlights the complexities of human development but also informs methods in educational and psychological support systems for aging individuals.

References

  • Arnett, J. J., & Jensen, L. A. (2019). Human development: A cultural approach (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
  • Purdue University. (n.d.). Purdue OWL: APA formatting and style guide.
  • Park, D. C., & Bischof, G. N. (2013). The aging mind: Neuroplasticity in response to cognitive training. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 15(1), 109–119.
  • Park, D. C., et al. (2014). The impact of sustained engagement on cognitive function in older adults: The Synapse project. Psychological Science, 25(1), 103–112.
  • Schaie, K. W., & Willis, S. L. (2010). The Seattle Longitudinal Study of Adult Cognitive Development. ISSBD Bulletin, 57(1), 24–29.
  • Harmon, K. (2011). Background noise: Elderly drivers might have a brain region to blame for declining driving skills.
  • Hà¼là¼r, G., Willis, S. L., Hertzog, C., Schaie, K. W., Gerstorf, D. (2018). Is subjective memory specific for memory performance or general across cognitive domains? Psychology and Aging, 33(3).
  • de Frias, C. M., Schaie, K. W., & Willis, S. L. (2014). Hypertension moderates the effect of APOE on 21-year cognitive trajectories. Psychology and Aging, 29(2), 314-325.
  • Gerstorf, D., Ram, N., Hoppmann, C., Willis, S. L., & Schaie, K. W. (2011). Cohort differences in cognitive aging and terminal decline in the Seattle Longitudinal Study. Developmental Psychology, 47(4), 1158-1167.

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