Smarter in middle age, faster in old age: a cross-lagged panel analysis of reaction time and cognitive ability over 13 years in the West of Scotland Twenty-07 Study

Deary, I.J., Allerhand, M. and Der, G. (2009) Smarter in middle age, faster in old age: a cross-lagged panel analysis of reaction time and cognitive ability over 13 years in the West of Scotland Twenty-07 Study. Psychology and Aging, 24(1), pp. 40-47. (doi: 10.1037/a0014442)

Abstract

Participants in the West of Scotland Twenty-07 Study performed reaction time tasks and took the Alice Heim 4 Part 1 test (AH4) of intelligence twice, 13 years apart. Cross-lagged associations between speed of processing and AH4 were examined using latent variables in structural equation modeling. The stability coefficients of the latent traits of processing speed and of AH4 score across 13 years were .49 and .89, respectively. There was a significant association (-.21) between AH4 score at age 56 and speed of processing at age 69 but not vice versa. The results fail to support the theory that processing speed is a foundation for successful cognitive aging but support a hypothesis that suggests that higher general intelligence might be associated with lifestyle and other factors that preserve processing speed.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Der, Mr Geoffrey
• Authors: Deary, I.J., Allerhand, M., and Der, G.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Health & Wellbeing > MRC/CSO SPHSU
• Journal Name: Psychology and Aging
• ISSN: 0882-7974
• ISSN (Online): 1939-1498