Chapter Questions
How do laypeople and researchers define intelligence?
What are the two main ways that intelligence has been studied? Define each.
What are primary mental abilities? Which ones have been studied most? How do they change with age?
Define fluid and crystallized intelligence. How does each change with age?
What factors moderate age changes in fluid intelligence? What role does cohort play?
What benefits do older people get from intervention programs aimed at improving fluid abilities? What training approaches have been used? How well do trained skills generalize?
What are the key concepts in Piaget's theory?
What stages of cognitive development did Piaget identify? What age differences have been found in them? Do adults use formal operations?
What is reflective judgment? What are the stages in its development? What are absolutist, relativistic, and dialectical thinking? How do emotion and logic become integrated? What evidence is there for gender differences in postformal thinking?
Describe Schaie's theory of cognitive development.
What are unexercised and optimally exercised abilities? How do their developmental paths differ from each other?
What are the developmental trends in solving practical problems? How does emotional salience of problems influence problem-solving style?
What is an expert? How is expertise related to age?
What is knowledge encapsulation?
What criteria are used to define wisdom? How is wisdom related to age?