Commentary on CALLA
Critiques: Challenges vs. Opportunities of Experience
Fluid vs. Crystal Intelligence
Creativity
Research Directions: Lifecourse Investigations between Generalization and Specialization
Innovation in later life
Purpose Prize: Social innovations based on previous occupational and life knowledge
Implications for Theories of Human Development
Theory of Psychosocial Development (Erikson, 1979)
Interaction between person and societal need
Lifespan approach to development
Bioecological Model (Bronfenbrenner & Ceci, 1994)
Interaction person and environment over time
Macrolevel systems/stigmas/expecations
Internal processes
SOC (Baltes, 1990)
Emerging Adulthood
Target for early intervention (paper)
Retirement
Transition from specialization to generalization
Another target for early intervention
Transition from generalization to specialization
CALLA--Early Life (Broad learning)----Late Life (Specialization)
Implications for Designing Cognitive Interventions for Older Adults (RQ: Why don't cognitive interventions generalize for older adults?)
Six Critical Factors of Intellectual Engagement for Broad Learning: Interventions focused on promoting the underlying factors to generalize cognitive training
Open-minded input-driven learning
Individualized Scaffolding
Forgiving environments
Growth Mindset
Serious commitment to learning
Learning multiple skills simultaneously
Growth in early life
Maintenance in adulthood
Compensation for loss in older adulthood
Need for CALLA in intellectual engagement (p. 4): 1) Key factors of intellectual engagement 2) why and how it declines across the lifespan 3) whether its decline has a causal role in cognitive aging
"we argue that these activities actually decrease throughout the lifespan, not just older adulthood" p. 4
Infancy to older adulthood need to understand cognitive abilities
Decline of Six Factors from Childhood to Aging Adulthood
Prevalence and importance in infancy and childhood
Start of maintance and eventually decline during young adulthood and middle-age
Steep decline during older adulthood
Critiques: Structure to incorporate broad learning?
Ambitious for designing interventions
Promote Broad Learning Factors in Cognitive Interventions for Older Adults
Promote far transfer skills
Earlier intervention in the life course
Balance between specialized and board learning and cognitive abilities
Environmental Factor- increasing support and feedback based on learner
Overall approach to learning in the environment
Environmental Factor - supportive and encouraging learning environment/society
Belief abilities are not fixed
Intrinsic motivation and personal purpose to learning
Learning and using many skills concurrently
Low deactivation of PFC
Problem solving style/processing speed
Build off previous knowledge
Stretch neuroplasticity to beyond the "critical periods" [triggers and brakes]
Decrease automatizing and relying on routines
More efficient to build off knowledge and avoid switch costs
Socioemotional Selectivity Theory (Carstensen, 1999)
Time Perception
Open-ended
Broad-based learning
Close-ended
Focus on Emotion-based goals
Specialization
Familar
Seek novelty
Open knowledge-related goals
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