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There are two stereotypes in circulation about aging and mental capacity: one negative and one positive. We associate aging with becoming slower, less ‘on the ball’ and with memory loss. We can also link aging to the idea of ​​wisdom and negotiation skills, useful for many contemporary social problems.

In our possibly youth-centric culture, exercising more cynicism, we can reflect and assume that there will, in fact, be scientific evidence for the negative stereotype but not for the positive one. We can assume that the positive stereotype exists just to make older people feel better about their lot. But what we actually find is that both stereotypes find support. That in some very important areas being older puts a person at an intellectual advantage. Cognition may be better in old age compared to young adulthood and middle age.

There is a substantial body of scientific evidence indicating that, yes, as we age many of our mental processes become less efficient, particularly our fluid intelligence. For this reason, we recommend exercise, nutrition that stimulates neurogenesis (such as creatine), and brain training with the dual n-back exercise that specifically targets fluid intelligence and the neural circuitry of short-term memory, which is most vulnerable. to degeneration during aging.

These cognitive impairments can be a concern if you are over the age of 60. But there are important gains that can offset these losses in the overall balance of cognitive abilities. A recent study by Grossmann and his colleagues, published in a prestigious scientific journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, tested the idea that as we age our wisdom improves, in the sense of gaining the ability to mediate and resolve conflicts. interpersonal. . In their study, they asked participants to read stories about intergroup and interpersonal conflict and to predict how these conflicts would play out. They found that, compared to young and middle-aged people, older people make better use of higher-order reasoning skills that emphasize the need to:

  • multiple perspectives,
  • allow compromise
  • recognize the limits of knowledge

These results were later confirmed by a group of professional counselors. Thus, the results show that social reasoning improves with age, despite a decrease in fluid intelligence.

The study authors state:

The results suggest that it might be advisable to assign older people key social roles involving legal decisions, counseling, and intergroup negotiations.

This is a welcome result. Given all the research being done on the negative effects of aging, this study may encourage clinicians to emphasize the built-in strengths associated with aging. There is a scientific basis for the ‘wisdom of the ages’ cliché.

Grossmann, et al (2010), Reasoning about social conflicts improves in old age, PNAS, 2010, 107, (16), 7246-7250.

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