Childhood intellectual development of adult schizophrenics.

Intelligence test scores from the early and later childhoods of 153 schizophrenic adults, 124 with 2 childhood Stanford-Binet tests, and 29 with 2 childhood group tests, were found and analyzed. A statistically significant (.01) loss between early childhood (ages 5-8) and late childhood (ages 11-14) was found on both tests. A control group of 872 children from the same school system showed a gain in score on the 2 group tests between these same years and studies of retest performance of children on the Binet show relatively little loss for children at comparable levels of intelligence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cohort-sequential analyses of adult intellectual development.

Conducted cohort-sequential analyses over a 7-yr interval on measures from the Primary Mental Abilities Test and the Test of Behavioral Rigidity on a sample of 2,151 participants at 1st test (independent random samples study, IS) and 723 individuals who returned for retest after 7 yrs (repeated measurement study, RM). Data were examined for 7-yr age intervals from 25 to 81 yrs, and cohort intervals from 1889 to 1938. Data sets were replicated for periods beginning in 1956 and 1963, respectively. Previous contentions of substantial plasticity in adult intellectual development were supported. Reliably demonstrable within-cohort-decrement occurred only late in life and not for all variables examined. Proportions of variance for ontogenetic change were generally smaller than for cohort differences. Estimated proportionate cumulative decrement at age 67 placed mean values below the range of average 25-yr-olds only for Word Fluency (RM and IS) and for Inductive Reasoning and Space (IS study). By contrast, similar estimates for cohort differences cumulated over a time period equivalent to the age range from 25 to 67 place the mean level of the oldest cohort below the average range of the youngest cohort for most variables examined. (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Fourteen-year cohort-sequential analyses of adult intellectual development.

Provides a comprehensive analysis of data from 412 Ss (mean ages 22–67 yrs at 1st test) on the Primary Mental Abilities Test. Ss took part in 1 of 2 longitudinal sequences, 1956–1970 or 1963–1977. Comparable data are also reported on cross-sectional sequences collected in 1956, 1963, 1970, and 1977. A decline in intelligence became clearly evident after age 60 yrs, with from a third to a half standard deviation decrement over a 14-yr period. Contrary to earlier reports (e.g., K. W. Schaie and I. A. Parham, 1977), small but significant decrements were noted over the 53–67 yr age range. Cohort/sequential cohort effects, which were not attributable to age changes, were found for several subtests. (28 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of families on intellectual development.

Comments that we know less than we think about the direct influence of environment on the causes of intellectual differences among individuals. It is valuable to examine the results of adoption studies, since some separation of hereditary and environmental influences can be achieved. Results suggest that factors such as parental education and intelligence have only a small impact on the intelligence of their children. A very large fraction of the environmental causes of individual differences remains unexplained. It is hypothesized that many of these influences are fortuitous and biological in nature. These factors can include unrecognized head injuries, viruses, and subtle inborn errors of metabolism; the latter leading to mismatches between the individual's genes and the specific environments to which he or she is exposed. (24 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Toward an understanding of adult intellectual development: Investigating within-individual convergence of interest and knowledge profiles.

To further our understanding of the role interests play in the development of adult intellect, this study examines the relationship between intraindividual differences in interest and knowledge profiles. On the basis of a sample of 330,154 individuals, results show a moderate, positive average intraindividual correlation between interest and knowledge that increases as individuals age and is stronger for men than for women. Consistent with recent theories regarding the development of adult intelligence, expertise, and talent, these results demonstrate that noncognitive intraindividual differences can add to one's understanding of the acquisition of knowledge and skills. The current findings regarding the intraindividual convergence of interests and knowledge substantiate K. Murphy's (1998) call for renewed research on interests and point to the usefulness of an intraindividual perspective in applied psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Fostering the intellectual development of verbally gifted adolescents.

51 7th–8th graders were chosen for an intellectual development program on the basis of exceptional performance on the verbal portion of the Scholastic Aptitude Test. They participated in a productive-thinking program and a challenging course in either creative writing or the social sciences. Results indicate that the program produced significant gains in verbal intelligence scores. The productive-thinking program also significantly raised scores on measures of creativity. (16 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A test of the confluence model of intellectual development.

Longitudinal data from 53,000 children on the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale (collected at age 4 yrs), the WISC, and the Wide Range Achievement Test (collected at age 7 yrs) were used to test 5 confluence model hypotheses (R. B. Zajonc; 1975, 1976, 1979). Results failed to confirm the importance of birth interval as a determinant of intellectual development. Alternative interpretations, involving social class effects and prenatal care, are suggested. (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Quality and equality in intellectual development: The role of motivation in education.

Proposes equal development of the intellectual potential of all children, or maximum possible quality of development, as a goal for education. Satisfactory progress toward this goal depends on maintenance of optimum motivation in all children. Three perspectives on motivation for intellectual and academic development are critically examined with the goal of equality of optimum motivation in view. An analysis of causal attributions for success and failure helps explain pervasive inequality in optimum motivation in schools today. Attribution for task choice and involvement (analyzed using the endogenous–exogenous partition and a conception of task-oriented motivation) both suggest ways of increasing equality of optimum motivation. A number of limitations of current theories, research, and popular practices are indicated. (82 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A conception of adult development.

Discusses formulations of life course, life cycle, life structure, and the adult development of the life structure in early and middle adulthood that originated in the author's (see record 1980-20834-001) initial study of men's lives and continues in his (in press) study of women's lives. Nine developmental periods from ages 17–22 yrs to ages 60–65 yrs are outlined; the sequence consists of structure-building and structure-changing (transitional) periods. Six major issues in a structural approach to adult development are discussed. What are the alternative ways of defining a structural stage or period? What relative emphasis is given to the structures as compared to the transitional periods? How can the best use be made of the distinction between hierarchical levels and seasons of development? Are there age-linked developmental periods in adulthood? What are the relative merits and limitations of various research methods? How can the developmental perspective and the socialization perspective be brought together? (32 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Brief psychotherapy and adult development.

Contends that models of brief psychotherapy that have evolved from the analytic tradition present the patient as suffering from some form of enduring disorder, unaltered by time or by life experiences. Psychotherapy is conceived as a one-time effort, definitive in the focal area selected, and involving therapist activity to overcome the patient's inertia or resistance to change. A contrasting model is proposed using the basic assumption that human beings continue to grow and develop throughout adult life and will seek to overcome obstacles to that development. In this model, the therapist facilitates health-seeking initiatives, and the overall goal of therapy is to mitigate obstacles to normal growth. Brevity of intervention places a burden on the therapist to tailor skills to the individual patient. (28 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A limited view of adult development.

Comments on an article by Daniel J. Levinson (see record 1986-19674-001) on adult development and the life course. M. Jahoda takes exception to the article on two counts: (1) For a growing number of people adult development does not end at 65 when old age begins and (2) The study of the life cycle is not a newly emerging field and is not limited to the United States. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Levinsonian studies of women's adult development.

We reviewed four unpublished dissertations that used Levinson's theory to study women's adult development. The 39 biographies presented in these studies suggested that the women progressed through the same developmental periods as had men in Levinson's study and at roughly the same ages. Although the timing of the periods and the nature of the developmental tasks appeared to be similar, the ways of working on these tasks as well as the outcomes achieved were different. These differences are understood in part as consequences of the greater complexity of women's dreams and the problems encountered in living them out. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Change and stability in adult intellectual functioning assessed by Wechsler item responses.

Change in adult intellectual performance was assessed with longitudinal data from the Intergenerational Studies at the Institute of Human Development. Wechsler Intelligence data from two age cohorts spanning ages 18 to 61 were analyzed at the subtest and item level. Hotelling T–2 analyses on sets of equivalent items from Wechsler subtests were studied to determine if change in response occurred between pairwise combinations of occasions of test administrations. We used Bowker's test to analyze data at the item level to determine the direction of change in performance. Consistent improvement in performance occurred between the ages of 18–40 and 18–54. Between the ages of 40 and 61, results showed mostly improved performance on the Information, Comprehension, and Vocabulary subtests, mixed change on the Picture Completion subtest, and decline on the Digit Symbol and Block Design subtests. The pattern of mixed change on the Picture Completion subtest indicated improvement on the easy items and decline on the difficult items. Decline in performance on the Block Design test occurred only for the most difficult items. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social class differences in intellectual development: A Neo-Piagetian investigation.

According to a recently developed neo-Piagetian theory by J. Pascual-Leone (1969), performance on Piagetian tasks depends on 4 distinct factors: (a) the S's repertoire of task-related schemes, (b) the S's repertoire of general executive schemes, (c) the S's mental space (a maturational variable which determines the maximum number of schemes he can coordinate simultaneously), and (d) the S's degree of field independence. The present article describes 3 studies with a total of 217 upper- and lower-class 6-12 yr olds which suggest that significant social class differences exist only with regard to the 1st 2 factors. The relevance of the data for both information processing and Piagetian views of social class differences is discussed, and a neo-Piagetian interpretation of A. R. Jensen's Level I-Level II distinction is advanced. (French summary) (38 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Can decline in adult intellectual functioning be reversed?

Examined whether or not cognitive decline in the elderly that has been reliably demonstrated over a 14-yr period can be reversed. 97 male and 132 female participants (aged 64–95 yrs) in a long-term longitudinal study were classified into those who had declined (n?=?122) and those who had remained stable (n?=?107) on the abilities of inductive reasoning and spatial orientation, based on their performances on the Primary Mental Ability Reasoning and Spatial Orientation Tests. Ss were assigned to 5-hr training programs on either ability in a pretest–posttest design that used Ss trained on 1 target ability as controls for those trained on the other. Results show that cognitive training techniques reliably reverse decline in spatial and reasoning ability documented over a 14-yr period in a substantial number of Ss. Training procedures also enhanced the performance of many Ss who had remained stable. Training improvement on spatial orientation was found to be greater for decliners than for those who remained stable and greater for females than for males. (36 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Multiple outcome evaluation of a life-career development course.

Examined the multiple effects of a life-career development course on 74 university students. The treatment was based on a comprehensive counseling model of "change agent career decision making." A modification of D. T. Campbell and J. C. Stanley's (1963) institutional cycle design and MANOVA was used for evaluating Ss' performance on 8 career inventories. The Ss were significantly more rational and less intuitive and dependent in their decision-making styles, more certain of their major and career choices, and more crystallized in their vocational self-concept. They also collected more career information and had fewer vocational identity problems as a result of the course. Inconsistent results were found with regard to the external locus of control and overcoming career barriers measures. The treatment did not seem to have an immediate impact on internal locus of control. (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Assistance in the development of the experimental course.

"What needs exist in our colleges and universities for introduction of or improvement in the undergraduate courses in experimental psychology? What resources in skills and materials are available for mobilization to meet these needs? These are the major questions this new committee of Divisions 2 and 3 is considering… . A number of trends indicate that there exists a need to strengthen training in experimental psychology… . The committee wishes to receive communications from two groups of psychologists: those who have needs in establishing, expanding, or modifying laboratory courses and those who have new ideas, projects, apparatus, and the like, which can be made available for more general use." (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Siblings of adults with mild intellectual deficits or mental illness: Differential life course outcomes.

The present study contrasted the later life sibling relationships, patterns of family formation, and psychological distress and well-being of siblings of adults with disabilities to a nondisabled normative group. The authors identified 268 siblings of adults with mild intellectual deficits (ID) and 83 siblings of adults with mental illness (MI) from the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (R. M. Hauser & W. H. Sewell, 1985; R. M. Hauser, J. Sheridan, & J. R. Warren, 1998), a prospective longitudinal study that followed participants from age 18 years to age 64 years. Compared with the norm (n = 791), siblings of adults with mild ID had more contact with family members and were more likely to live in the same state as the sibling with the disability but reported less affective closeness. Siblings of adults with MI reported more psychological distress, less psychological well-being, and less adaptive personality characteristics compared with the norm, particularly for siblings of men with MI. There were no differences between groups in the patterns of marriage and childbearing. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sex-role development and psychopathology in adult males.

Compared the responses of matched groups of 20 nonparanoid schizophrenic, paranoid schizophrenic, neurotic, and normal adult males on measures relating to masculinity-femininity of self-perceptions (Adject Check List) and interests and attitudes (the Femininity scale of the CPI). Results consistently indicate that all the disturbed groups were much less masculine than the normal Ss. There were few clear-cut differences among the disturbed groups. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)