Cognitive Development Across the Lifespan (6B) Practice Test
•15 QuestionsIn a longitudinal study, researchers followed 220 participants from age 12 to 75. Every 6 years, participants completed (1) a working memory task (remembering and updating a short list), (2) a processing speed task (quickly matching symbols), and (3) an emotion-perception task (identifying facial expressions). Results showed that processing speed declined steadily from early adulthood onward, while working memory remained relatively stable through midlife and then declined in later adulthood. Emotion-perception accuracy was stable across ages, but older adults showed a consistent bias toward labeling ambiguous faces as “neutral” rather than “angry.” Which explanation best describes the observed pattern of cognitive change across the lifespan?
In a longitudinal study, researchers followed 220 participants from age 12 to 75. Every 6 years, participants completed (1) a working memory task (remembering and updating a short list), (2) a processing speed task (quickly matching symbols), and (3) an emotion-perception task (identifying facial expressions). Results showed that processing speed declined steadily from early adulthood onward, while working memory remained relatively stable through midlife and then declined in later adulthood. Emotion-perception accuracy was stable across ages, but older adults showed a consistent bias toward labeling ambiguous faces as “neutral” rather than “angry.” Which explanation best describes the observed pattern of cognitive change across the lifespan?