Cross-Sectional versus Longitudinal Age Gradients of Tower of Hanoi Performance: The Role of Practice Effects and Cohort Differences in Education
Titel:
Cross-Sectional versus Longitudinal Age Gradients of Tower of Hanoi Performance: The Role of Practice Effects and Cohort Differences in Education
Auteur:
Ronnlund, Michael Lovden, Martin Nilsson, Lars-Goran
Verschenen in:
Aging, neuropsychology, and cognition
Paginering:
Jaargang 15 (2008) nr. 1 pagina's 40-67
Jaar:
2008-01
Inhoud:
We examined 5-year longitudinal changes in Tower of Hanoi (TOH) performance in a population-based sample of adults (35-85 years initially; n = 1480). An age-matched sample (n = 433) was included to estimate practice effects. The longitudinal age gradients differed substantially from the cross-sectional age gradients. This was the case even when practice effects, that were substantial in magnitude across the young/middle-aged groups, were controlled for. Instead of a continuous age-related deficit in performance from 35 and onwards, longitudinal data showed slowing of performance and increases of illegal moves past age 65. Cohort-related differences in educational attainment did not account for this discrepancy. Further analyses revealed a positive relation between practice-related gains and explicit memory of having performed the task at the first test occasion and a positive association between latent changes in TOH and Block Design, in line with cross-sectional findings. In conclusion, the results demonstrate a pattern of age-related changes indicating a late-onset decline of TOH performance and underscore the need to control for retest effects in longitudinal aging research.