Department of Psychology

Department of Psychology
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Psychology 209G, Spring 2001
Proseminar in Cognitive Aging (1 credit)

Time: Tue, Tr 9:30 to 10:45am	Instructor: Dr. Ute Bayen
Starting date: Jan. 16, 2000	Office: 362 Psychology Bldg.
Location: 347 Davie Hall	Mailbox: 206 Davie Hall
	Phone: 962-6729 (O) 932-3941 (H)
	E-mail: ubayen@unc.edu

Course Objectives: This one-hour proseminar is an introduction to theoretical and empirical issues regarding age-related differences in adult cognitive functioning. Students do extensive readings in various areas of cognitive aging and complete a paper on an aspect of cognitive aging.

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CLASS SCHEDULE

Week 1

INTRODUCTION, HISTORY, THEORETICAL ISSUES, METHODOLOGY

Theoretical Issues:

Dixon, R. A., & Hertzog, C. (1996). Theoretical issues in cognition and aging. In F. Blanchard-Fields, & T. M. Hess, Perspectives on cognitive change in adulthood and aging (25-65). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Methodology:

Salthouse, T. A. (2000). Methodological assumptions in cognitive aging research. In F. I. M. Craik & T. A. Salthouse (Eds.), The handbook of aging and cognition (2^nd ed., pp. 467-498). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

Week 2

THEORIES OF COGNITIVE AGING

Speed

Salthouse, T. A. (1996). The processing-speed theory of adult age differences in cognition. Psychological Review, 103, 403-428.

Inhibition Failure

Hasher, L., Quig, M. B., & May, C. P. (1997). Inhibitory control over no-longer-relevant information: Adult age differences. Memory & Cognition, 25, 286-295.

Sensory Loss

Baltes, P. B., & Lindenberger, U. (1997). Emergence of a powerful connection between sensory and cognitive functions across the adult life span: A new window to the study of cognitive aging? Psychology and Aging, 1, 12-21.

Week 3

MEMORY

Zacks, R. T., Hasher, L., & Li, K. Z. H. (2000). Human memory. In F. I. M. Craik & T. A. Salthouse (Eds.), The handbook of aging and cognition (2^nd ed., pp. 293-357). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

Bayen, U. J., & Murnane, K. (1996). Aging and the use of perceptual and temporal information in source memory tasks. Psychology and Aging, 11, 293-303.

Bayen, U. J., Phelps, M. P., & Spaniol, J. (2000). Age-related differences in the use of contextual information in recognition memory: A global matching approach. Journals of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 55B, P131-P141.

Week 4

LANGUAGE, MOTOR SKILLS, APPLIED COGNITIVE AGING

Language and Discourse Processing

Stine, E. A. L., Soederberg, L. M., & Morrow, D. G. (1996). Language and discourse processing through adulthood. In F. Blanchard-Fields, & T. M. Hess (Eds.), Perspectives on cognitive change in adulthood and aging (pp. 255-290). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Motor Skills

Kausler, D. H. (1994). Adult age differences in motor-skill learning. In D. H. Kausler, Learning and memory in normal aging (pp. 26-46). San Diego: Academic Press.

Applied Cognitive Aging Research

Rogers, W. A., & Fisk, A. D. (2000). Human factors, applied cognition, and aging. In F. I. M. Craik & T. A. Salthouse (Eds.), The handbook of aging and cognition (2^nd ed., pp. 559-591). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

Jones, B. D., & Bayen, U. J. (1998). Teaching older adults to use computers: Recommendations based on cognitive aging research. Educational Gerontology, 24, 675-689.

Week 5

STUDENT PRESENTATIONS

April. 19

PAPER DUE

Paper Guidelines:

Papers should be about 10 pages in length (references not included) and in APA style. There are three options for the paper. Please come talk to me when you have decided on a topic so that we can discuss how to best approach it.

Option 1. Literature Review

You may write a literature review of any topic within the area of cognitive aging. The review should be up to date, integrate findings from different original sources, and critically evaluate the reviewed literature.

Option 2. Research Proposal

If you want to pursue cognitive aging research in the future you may want to write a proposal for such research. Your proposal could be the first step toward a proposal for a funding agency, or a thesis proposal. Your proposal should include an introduction and rationale, proposed methods, and expected results.

Option 3. Report of Research Project

If you are currently working on a research project in the area of cognitive aging, you may want to write up the results of (parts of) your study. This could be the first step toward a manuscript for journal submission. The paper should include an introduction, methods, results, and discussion.

Student Presentations:

Each student will present the contents of his/her paper in class. The amount of time we will have for these presentations depends on the number of students in the class. Leave at least 5 min. for discussion. You are encouraged to use overheads and/or handouts. You may use feedback you receive on your talk and points brought up in the discussion to improve your paper.

Evaluation. Grades will be based on student participation in class discussions (40 percent of grade) and the paper + presentation (60 percent of grade).

Final grades will be as follows:
H clear excellence = 100-90%
P entirely satisfactory = 89-80%
L low passing = 79-70%
F failed = 69 or less

Week 1	INTRODUCTION, HISTORY, THEORETICAL ISSUES, METHODOLOGY
	Theoretical Issues:
	Dixon, R. A., & Hertzog, C. (1996). Theoretical issues in cognition and aging. In F. Blanchard-Fields, & T. M. Hess, Perspectives on cognitive change in adulthood and aging (25-65). New York: McGraw-Hill.
	Methodology:
	Salthouse, T. A. (2000). Methodological assumptions in cognitive aging research. In F. I. M. Craik & T. A. Salthouse (Eds.), The handbook of aging and cognition (2^nd ed., pp. 467-498). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

Week 2	THEORIES OF COGNITIVE AGING
	Speed
	Salthouse, T. A. (1996). The processing-speed theory of adult age differences in cognition. Psychological Review, 103, 403-428.
	Inhibition Failure
	Hasher, L., Quig, M. B., & May, C. P. (1997). Inhibitory control over no-longer-relevant information: Adult age differences. Memory & Cognition, 25, 286-295.
	Sensory Loss
	Baltes, P. B., & Lindenberger, U. (1997). Emergence of a powerful connection between sensory and cognitive functions across the adult life span: A new window to the study of cognitive aging? Psychology and Aging, 1, 12-21.

Week 3		MEMORY
	Zacks, R. T., Hasher, L., & Li, K. Z. H. (2000). Human memory. In F. I. M. Craik & T. A. Salthouse (Eds.), The handbook of aging and cognition (2^nd ed., pp. 293-357). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
		Bayen, U. J., & Murnane, K. (1996). Aging and the use of perceptual and temporal information in source memory tasks. Psychology and Aging, 11, 293-303.
		Bayen, U. J., Phelps, M. P., & Spaniol, J. (2000). Age-related differences in the use of contextual information in recognition memory: A global matching approach. Journals of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 55B, P131-P141.

Week 4		LANGUAGE, MOTOR SKILLS, APPLIED COGNITIVE AGING
		Language and Discourse Processing
		Stine, E. A. L., Soederberg, L. M., & Morrow, D. G. (1996). Language and discourse processing through adulthood. In F. Blanchard-Fields, & T. M. Hess (Eds.), Perspectives on cognitive change in adulthood and aging (pp. 255-290). New York: McGraw-Hill.
		Motor Skills
		Kausler, D. H. (1994). Adult age differences in motor-skill learning. In D. H. Kausler, Learning and memory in normal aging (pp. 26-46). San Diego: Academic Press.
		Applied Cognitive Aging Research
		Rogers, W. A., & Fisk, A. D. (2000). Human factors, applied cognition, and aging. In F. I. M. Craik & T. A. Salthouse (Eds.), The handbook of aging and cognition (2^nd ed., pp. 559-591). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
		Jones, B. D., & Bayen, U. J. (1998). Teaching older adults to use computers: Recommendations based on cognitive aging research. Educational Gerontology, 24, 675-689.
Week 5		STUDENT PRESENTATIONS
April. 19		PAPER DUE