Cross-sectional age differences in personality among medicare patients aged 65 to 100

1,084 older Medicare recipients were orally administered the NEO Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI; P. T. Costa & R. R. McCrae, 1992). Participants were assigned to groups based on gender and age (65-79 or 80-100). An analysis of covariance showed that women had significantly higher Neuroticism, Openness, and Agreeableness scores; that older participants were significantly higher in Agreeableness; and that age differences in Agreeableness were significantly greater in men than in women. With the exception of Agreeableness, this study provides no evidence for age differences among those in the last decades of life.     

Differential Estimation of Treatment Effect Between Clinician‐Administered and Self‐Reported PTSD Assessments

This study reported the findings of a meta‐analysis exploring differences between clinician‐administered (C‐A) and self‐reported (S‐R) outcomes of counseling and therapy interventions for posttraumatic stress disorder. A sample of 17 randomized trials resulted in 46 effect sizes (23 C‐A, 23 S‐R) representing the data of 1,405 participants. No statistically significant differences were detected between C‐A and S‐R outcome estimates alone or when considering treatment setting; however, differential estimates emerged for modality across age groups.     

Exploring posttraumatic growth in Tamil children affected by the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004

Few studies explore posttraumatic growth (PTG) in children from Eastern cultures. To help address this gap, the present study examined PTG among 177 South Indian children aged 8–17 years who were affected by the 2004 Tsunami. The study identifies the underlying factor structure of the Tamil version of the Revised Posttraumatic Growth Inventory for Children (PTGI‐C‐R), and aims to explore the prevalence of PTG, the relationship between distress and growth, and gender and age differences in PTG. The results of the principal component analysis indicated a two‐factor structure with an interpersonal and a person‐centred dimension of growth. The total scores of the Tamil PTGI‐C‐R were positively associated with posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and age. Moreover, there was a significant relationship between age and the person‐centred growth subscale. Non‐parametric tests found no gender differences in perceived growth. The role of socio‐cultural factors on the nature of PTG is discussed.     

Adolescents' performance on the Iowa Gambling Task: implications for the development of decision making and ventromedial prefrontal cortex

Healthy adolescents (79 girls, 66 boys), ages 9-17, completed the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT; A. Bechara, A. R. Damasio, H. Damasio, & S. W. Anderson, 1994) as well as working memory (digit span) and behavioral inhibition (go/no-go) tasks. Cross-sectional age-related changes were seen on all 3 tasks. Gender differences were seen in IGT deck preference and attentional variables (i.e., go/no-go hit rate and forward digit span). After age, gender, and general intellectual abilities were controlled for, IGT performance was not predicted by working memory or behavioral inhibition scores. Findings suggest that the ventromedial prefrontal cortex or its connections are functionally maturing during adolescence in a manner that can be distinguished from maturation of other prefrontal regions. Development of these functions may continue into young adulthood.     

Motivational influences on controlled processing: moderating distractibility in older adults

Research has suggested that aging is associated with a decline in the efficiency of controlling processing operations. Three studies examined the moderating impact of personal relevance on age differences in one index of such operations: the ability to ignore distracting information. Young (17-26) and older (58-86) adults read a series of passages interspersed with irrelevant, distracting information, with the relevance of the passage content to these two age groups being systematically varied. For both groups, processing was more efficient and comprehension enhanced when passage relevance was high. These effects were particularly strong among older adults, a finding consistent with a growing body of data highlighting the importance of motivational factors in determining age differences in cognitive performance.     

Executive Function and Processing Resources as Predictors of Adult Age Differences in the Implementation of Encoding Strategies

This research examined adult age differences in recall of word lists under different encoding conditions: association (story generation), rehearsal, and a control condition. Executive function and cognitive processing resources (speed and working memory) were investigated as mediators of these age differences. Younger (aged 17-48 years) and older (aged 65-88 years) adults completed a battery of tests of executive function, speed of information processing, working memory, and recall. Age differences in recall were evident for those who used the complex association encoding strategy only. For those using the association strategy, an examination of encoding strategy protocols revealed age differences in the integration of words, which were also related to subsequent recall performance. The association between integration and recall was accounted for by executive function and working memory, but not by speed of processing. Speed accounted for age differences in recall but its contribution to recall was largely independent from that of the impact of integration during encoding.     

Gender differences in physical aggression: A prospective population-based survey of children before and after 2 years of age

There has been much controversy over the past decades on the origins of gender differences in children's aggressive behavior. A widely held view is that gender differences emerge sometime after 2 years of age and increase in magnitude thereafter because of gender-differentiated socialization practices. The objective of this study was to test for (a) gender differences in the prevalence of physical aggression in the general population of 17-month-old children and (b) change in the magnitude of these differences between 17 and 29 months of age. Contrary to the differential socialization hypothesis, the results showed substantial gender differences in the prevalence of physical aggression at 17 months of age, with 5% of boys but only 1% of girls manifesting physically aggressive behaviors on a frequent basis. The results suggest that there is no change in the magnitude of these differences between 17 and 29 months of age.     

Is egocentric space automatically encoded?

Using the criteria defined by Hasher and Zacks [Hasher, L., & Zacks, R. T. (1979). Automatic and effortful processes in memory. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 108(3), 356-388], three studies examined the effects of intent of memorization, dual task interference, old age, practice and individual differences on memory for egocentric positions. Results showed that dual task interference and old age slightly influenced memory for egocentric positions. Small but significant individual differences were also observed. However, intent of memorization and practice had no influence on accuracy. The findings demonstrate that encoding of egocentric space works rather automatically but nevertheless requires minimal attentional resources.     

Getting older, getting better? Personal strivings and psychological maturity across the life span.

Measures of psychological maturity based on personal strivings (R. A. Emmons, 1989) were administered to 108 adults aged 17-82. On the basis of organismic-theoretical assumptions regarding maturity, age was hypothesized to be positively associated with K. M. Sheldon and T. Kasser's (1995, 1998) two goal-based measures of personality integration. E. Erikson's (1963) assumptions regarding maturity were the basis for the hypothesis that older people would tend to list more strivings concerning generativity and ego integrity and fewer strivings concerning identity and intimacy. Finally, on the basis of past research findings, maturity and age were hypothesized to be positively associated with subjective well-being. Results supported these hypotheses and also showed that measured maturity mediated the relationship between age and well-being. Thus, older individuals may indeed be more psychologically mature than younger people and may be happier as a result.     

Perception of parental socialization strategies in adoptive and non-adoptive families

Although parental socialization styles have been investigated in recent years, little research has been carried out on the issue of parental styles in adoptive families. The aim of this research is to analyse parental styles both from the point of view of the parents and of adopted and non-adopted adolescents, taking as covariables the adolescents' sex and age. The sample was made up of 55 adopted adolescents (20 boys and 35 girls with an age range of 11-17 years) and their 55 adoptive parents, and 402 non-adopted adolescents (200 boys and 202 girls with an age range of 11-17 years), and their 258 parents. Two scales evaluated parental styles: the Affect Scale and the Rules and Demands Scale. The results showed that, both from the point of view of the parents and of the adolescents, adoptive families are more affective, communicative and inductive, and less critical and indulgent than non-adoptive families. No differences were found between adopted and non-adopted adolescents on the Parents' Rigidity Scale.     

香港中学生人格特质的性别差异及其发展性分析

本文报告了新近发展的跨文化（中国人）个性测量表－青少年版（CPAI-A）对香港中学生人格特征的性别差异评估结果。CPAI-A是在CPAI-2（成人版）基础上发展而来的。研究发现性别是影响香港中学生人格特质的关键因素,并且性别差异在不同年龄组之间存在明显的延续性和发展性趋势。结合对已有研究的比较分析,文章从发展角度讨论了人格特质的性别差异特性在青少年不同年龄组之间的情形。文章还基于CPAI-2中国人常模的数据,比较分析了青少年与成人之间人格特征性别差异的特点。文章最后认为性别差异特征是体现人格特质在青少年期的不同年龄阶段,以及从青少年到成人阶段的发展性与稳定性的重要内容     

Oculomotor and manual indexes of incidental and intentional spatial sequence learning during middle childhood and adolescence

The goal of this study was to examine incidental and intentional spatial sequence learning during middle childhood and adolescence. We tested four age groups (8-10 years, 11-13 years, 14-17 years, and young adults [18+ years]) on a serial reaction time task and used manual and oculomotor measures to examine incidental sequence learning. Participants were also administered a trial block in which they were explicitly instructed to learn a sequence. Replicating our previous study with adults, oculomotor anticipations and response times showed learning effects similar to those in the manual modality. There were few age-related differences in the sequence learning indexes during incidental learning, but intentional learning yielded differences on all indexes. Results indicate that the search for regularities and the ability to learn a sequence rapidly under incidental conditions are mature by 8 to 10 years of age. In contrast, the ability to learn a sequence intentionally, which requires cognitive resources and strategies, continues to develop through adolescence.     

Developmental changes in response preparation to visual stimuli

We examined how preparation to respond changes with age. Subjects from four age groups (5- to 7-, 8- to 11-, 12- to 17-, and 18- to 24-yr.-olds) were given a simple visual RT task with foreperiod duration varied between 300 and 2000 msec. Analysis showed that in addition to the expected effects of age and foreperiod, there were qualitative differences between the performance of adults and children: 5- to 7-yr.-olds reacted quickest after a foreperiod shorter than that required by adults to perform best. Conversely, preadolescents' optimal foreperiod was relatively longer than that of either older or younger subjects. In addition, the youngest subjects showed an inability to maintain preparation as efficiently as older subjects. Implications for the development of response preparation are discussed.     

Age differences in genetic and environmental influences on eating attitudes and behaviors in preadolescent and adolescent female twins

A sample of 680 11- and 602 17-year-old female twins was used to examine (a) age differences in genetic and environmental influences on disordered eating attitudes and behaviors and (b) associations between body mass index (BMI) and eating attitudes and behaviors. Univariate, biometrical model-fitting analyses indicated that 11-year-old twins exhibited less genetic and greater shared environmental influence on eating attitudes and behaviors than 17-year-old twins. Bivariate model-fitting analyses indicated that the relationship between BMI and eating attitudes was mediated primarily by common shared environmental influences in 11-year-old twins and common genetic influences in 17-year-old twins. Nonetheless, the majority of genetic influences on eating attitudes and behaviors in older twins were due to genetic effects that are independent of those operating in BMI.     

Curiosity and stimulation seeking across the adult life span: cross-sectional and 6- to 8-year longitudinal findings.

Giambra (1977-1978, 1979-1980) found that 2 scales of the Imaginal Processes Inventory measuring curiosity (i.e., information seeking) did not change across the adult life span, but 2 measuring stimulation seeking (i.e., boredom) for external stimulation need significantly decreased with age. In this study, these outcomes were replicated (1,356 men and 1,080 women 17 to 92 years old). In addition, a 6- to 8-year longitudinal repeat was obtained on 222 men and 124 women. Significant longitudinal declines were obtained for the stimulation-seeking measures. Furthermore, women showed an increase in impersonal-mechanical curiosity and a decline in interpersonal curiosity, though the amount of change was modest. Men were unchanged on both curiosity measures. Gender differences in longitudinal changes apparently reflected effects of socialization as well as tendencies toward displaying increased androgyny with advancing age.     

Swing phase mechanics of healthy young and elderly men.

This study examined the effect of ageing on the swing phase mechanics of young and elderly gait. Sagittal plane marker trajectories and force plate data were collected while 10 young (24.9+/-0.9 years) and eight elderly (68.9+/-0.4 years) subjects walked at their preferred walking speeds. Comparison between young and elderly gait was made for a range of spatial-temporal, kinematic and kinetic variables with emphasis given to identifying possible differences at toe-off, minimum metatarsal-phalangeal joint clearance and heel contact. In order to control for the confounding effect of gait velocity on the dependent variables, a multivariate analysis of covariance was used to identify differences between the young and elderly subjects due to age. In contrast to studies that have reported lower preferred walking speeds in the elderly compared to the young [J.O. Judge, R.B. Davis III, S. Ounpuu, Step length reductions in advanced age: the role of ankle and hip kinetics, Journal of Gerontology: Medical Sciences 51 (1996) M303-312; D.C. Kerrigan, M.K. Todd, U. Della Croce, L.A. Lipsitz, J.J. Collins, Biomechanical gait alterations independent of speed in the healthy elderly: evidence for specific limiting impairments, Archives of Physical and Medical Rehabilitation 79 (1998) 317-322], no differences in walking speed nor in the spatial-temporal variables that determine walking speed were detected. The elderly were however, found to have a greater hip extension moment at the time of minimum metatarsal-phalangeal joint clearance, and a significantly higher anterior-posterior velocity heel contact velocity that was linked to a significantly higher shank and foot angular velocity at heel contact. Since many gait variables are highly correlated with walking speed [C. Kirtley, M.W. Whittle, R.J. Jefferson, Influence of walking speed on gait parameters, Journal of Biomechanical Engineering 7 (1985) 282-288; D.A. Winter, Biomechanical motor patterns in normal walking, Journal of Motor Behaviour 15 (1983) 302-330], differences between young and elderly gait found in the present study may therefore be attributed to ageing, rather than a secondary effect of differences in gait velocity.     

Children's and adolescents' perception of the authenticity of smiles

Recently, Thibault and colleagues described the Duchenne marker as a cultural dialect for the perception of smile authenticity. The current study had the goal to follow up on this finding and to investigate the cues that French Canadian children use to evaluate the authenticity of smiles from members of three ethnic groups. The authenticity of six smiles differing in intensity and presence of orbicularis oculi (Duchenne marker) was rated by 1206 children from 4 to 17 years of age. No differences were found as a function of encoder group. All children perceived medium Duchenne smiles as more authentic than equally intense medium non-Duchenne smiles. Furthermore, results suggest a decrease in the reliance on intensity across the age span. Younger children use the intensity marker along the whole continuum to infer authenticity. In contrast, older children (14- to 17-year-olds) rated all smiles that did not contain the Duchenne marker as roughly equally low in authenticity.     

Reorganization in coping behavior at 1 1/2 years: dynamic systems and normative change

By the age of 1 year toddlers demonstrate distinct coping habits for dealing with frustration. However, these habits may be open to change and reorganization at subsequent developmental junctures. We investigated change in coping habits at 18-20 months, a normative age for major advances in social cognition, focusing on the dynamic systems principles of fluctuation and novelty at transitions. Specifically, we asked whether month-to-month fluctuation, novel behavioral habits and real-time variability increased at the age of a normative transition, despite individual differences in the content of behavior. Infants were given frustrating toys while their mothers sat nearby without helping, on monthly visits at 14-25 months (before, during and after the hypothesized transition). State space grids representing patterns of behavioral durations were constructed for each episode and compared over age. As predicted, month-to-month fluctuation in grid patterns increased temporarily between 17 and 20 months, partly independently of a concurrent peak in distress, and new behavioral habits replaced old ones at the same age. Coping habits changed differently for high-and low-distressed toddlers. However, changes in real-time variability did not generally meet our expectations.