Development of Intelligence, Personality, and Wisdom Across the Lifespan

A collection of vocabulary flashcards derived from the study guide on intelligence, personality, and wisdom across the lifespan.

Cross-sectional studies

Research comparing different age groups at a single time, showing a decline in intelligence from early to late adulthood.

Longitudinal studies

Research tracking the same individuals over time, showing more stability in intelligence with some decline late in life.

Crystallized Intelligence

Accumulated knowledge and skills that increase or remain stable with age.

Fluid Intelligence

The ability to solve novel problems and think quickly, which declines with age.

The Big 5 Personality Traits

Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism.

Generativity vs. Stagnation

Erikson's stage in middle adulthood where individuals either contribute to the next generation or feel disconnected.

Eudaimonic happiness

A deep sense of purpose and meaning experienced by highly generative adults.

Cogwheeling (Erikson)

The concept that generations affect and depend on each other like interconnected gears.

Pragmatic Thought

Practical, realistic thinking that acknowledges life's complexities, differing from Piagetian abstract reasoning.

Cognitive-Affective Complexity

The ability to integrate emotion and logic effectively.

Wisdom

Managing life's emotional and cognitive complexities with balance.

Cohort effects

Differences in characteristics of age groups that can affect research outcomes, such as education and health.

Behavior Genetics

The field that studies the heritability of personality traits, finding that 40-60% of personality is heritable.

Fluid intelligence measurement example

Activities like solving logic puzzles or recognizing patterns.

Higher calf survival during droughts

Elders' knowledge of hidden water sources contributed to this outcome in elephant herds.

What do cross-sectional studies show about intelligence over the lifespan?,

They show a decline in intelligence with age, but may underestimate older adults due to cohort effects.

What do longitudinal studies show about intelligence over time?,

They show intelligence remains stable longer, with decline only later in life.

Why might cross-sectional studies underestimate older adults' intelligence

,Because they compare different generations with different educational and cultural backgrounds.

Why might longitudinal studies overestimate intelligence?

,Practice effects and selective dropout bias results toward healthier individuals.

What is crystallized intelligence?

The accumulated knowledge and verbal skills acquired over a lifetime.

What is fluid intelligence?

The ability to solve new problems and think quickly; declines with age.

Give an example of a task measuring fluid intelligence.

Solving logic puzzles or recognizing abstract patterns.

Which Big 5 traits tend to increase with age?

Conscientiousness and agreeableness

Which Big 5 traits tend to decrease with age?

Openness, extraversion, and neuroticism.

What are cohort effects?

Differences among age groups caused by historical or cultural experiences.

What is Erikson’s 7th psychosocial stage?

Generativity vs. Stagnation.

When does Erikson’s 7th stage occur?

Middle adulthood (ages 40–65).

What is generativity?

A concern for helping future generations and contributing to society.

What is stagnation?,A sense of purposelessness and lack of contribution in middle adulthood.

What type of happiness is associated with high generativity?

Eudaimonic happiness—derived from meaning and purpose.

What is cogwheeling?

Erikson’s term for how generations influence each other like connected gears.

What is pragmatic thought?

Realistic, flexible thinking that acknowledges life's complexities.

How do Labouvie-Vief’s tasks differ from Piaget’s?

They are emotionally complex, real-life dilemmas with no clear right answer.

What is cognitive-affective complexity?

The ability to integrate emotion and logic in decision-making.

How do adolescents answer Labouvie-Vief’s dilemmas?

With idealistic, black-and-white thinking.

How do young adults answer those dilemmas?

With more relativistic, nuanced thinking.

What happened when young elephants were relocated without elders?

They acted aggressively and unpredictably due to lack of role models.

What happened when older males were introduced?

They established order and discipline, stopping the negative behavior.

Why do elephant herds with older females have higher drought survival?

The elders remember water locations from past droughts.