Age-related change in intelligence and development of strategy for maitaining or improving intelligence in the middle-aged and elderly

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 23730640
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Educational psychology
• Research Institution: National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology
• Principal Investigator: NISHITA Yukiko 独立行政法人国立長寿医療研究センター, NILS-LSA活用研究室, 研究員 (60393170)
• Project Period (FY): 2011-04-28 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 知能 / 加齢変化 / 心理社会的要因 / 地域在住中高年者 / 縦断研究

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The aim of this study was to examine age-related change in intelligence and to identify its psychosocial factors among Japanese middle-aged and elderly. The 12-year data from gender- and age-stratified random samples (approximately 2,300 people) were used in this study.
The main results were as follows. (1) Age-related change in intelligence depended on each intellectual domain. Additionally, individual differences in intellectual change was evident at all ages. (2) For the middle-aged, higher levels of education was partly associated with improvement of intelligence. (3) For the elderly, prevention of depressive symptoms, trait of openness to experience and participation in culture activities were protective factors of intellectual decline.

Free Research Field

生涯発達心理学