麻豆视频

I recently had a conversation in my Honors Developmental Psychology class in which we explored the question, 鈥淚s agism one of the last socially acceptable forms of prejudice and discrimination in today鈥檚 society?鈥� This led to a discussion of some of the negative stereotypes our society holds about both younger and older adults.聽 One of the key features of the stereotype for older adults is that they lose their cognitive capacities.聽 The book I just finished, 鈥淭he Aging Brain: Functional Adaptation Across Adulthood,鈥� edited by Gregory Samanez-Larkin, reviews research that explores and challenges the view that older adults tend to lose their cognitive capacities.聽 One set of studies discussed in the book that I found particularly compelling indicated that deficits in the cognitive performance of older adults obtained in laboratory studies are not typically replicated when similar tasks are undertaken in real world settings. In fact, when they are able to use environmental cues and other naturally occurring cognitive strategies, older adults demonstrate that while they might recruit different brain regions and process information differently from younger adults, results do not reveal significant cognitive impairments in some domains at all. 聽The book reminds us to strive for inclusion through thinking through the lens of variation rather than subordination. It also arms us with data with which to fight for the equity of people of all ages.

Samanez-Larkin, G. R. (Ed.) (2019). The Aging Brain: Functional Adaptation Across Adulthood. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.