72. Longitudinal studies of adult changes in various intellectual tasks show that declines in ability typically begin at different ages for different tasks. Which of the following is true regarding such changes?
Answer: C
Perceptual speed begins to decline when people are in their forties.
Research indicates that perceptual speed, which relates to the ability to quickly and accurately process visual information, typically starts to show declines in individuals during their forties.
A) Verbal comprehension peaks when people are in their sixties.
This statement is inaccurate as studies show that while verbal comprehension may remain stable for a time, it does not peak in the sixties. Instead, it tends to hold steady or decline later in life, making this option incorrect.
B) Inductive reasoning begins to show serious declines when people are in their forties.
Although inductive reasoning may decline over time, it generally does not show serious declines until later in life, often much later than the forties. Therefore, this option does not accurately reflect the trends observed in longitudinal studies.
C) Perceptual speed begins to decline when people are in their forties.
This statement is correct based on longitudinal studies which indicate that perceptual speed is one of the first cognitive abilities to show decline, starting in the forties.
D) The capacity to perform simple arithmetic functions does not show declines until people are in their forties.
Research suggests that simple arithmetic functions may maintain their capacity for a longer duration than perceptual speed, typically not showing declines until later in life. This makes the statement misleading and incorrect.
E) Verbal memory shows little drop in capacity until people are well into their eighties.
This statement is generally supported by evidence indicating that verbal memory remains relatively stable until much later in life, often not showing significant decline until the eighties. However, it does not relate directly to the age-related changes in other cognitive tasks being examined here.
Conclusion
The selected answer, C, is definitively correct as it aligns with established findings on the decline of perceptual speed starting in the forties. Other options either misrepresent the age of decline for their respective cognitive abilities or provide inaccurate information regarding the trends observed in longitudinal studies, confirming that C is the most accurate representation of adult cognitive changes.