Abstract
Potential intelligence and actual intellective ability are not quite the same. Intellective ability falls short of intellective potential for a number of reasons. When we analyze the data of Figures 1, 2, and 3, we need to determine whether we can make inferences about the aging of potential intellect. It is one thing to say that a measured ability of intellective function declines with age. It is quite another thing to say that potential intelligence or capacity declines. The latter insists upon, or at least strongly suggests, an age change in neural function; the former may or may not be based upon such a change. Again, Wechsler was very clear in his evaluation. He wrote, “We have advanced the hypothesis that the decline of mental ability with age is part of the general organic process which constitutes the universal phenomenon of senescence...” (1958, p. 205).
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Balinsky, B. An analysis of the mental factors in various age groups from nine to sixty. Genet. Psychol. Monogr., 1941, 23, 191–234.
Bayley, Nancy. On the growth of intelligence. Amer. Psychologist, 1955, 10, 805–818.
Bayley, Nancy, and Oden, Melita H. The maintenance of intellectual ability in gifted adults. J. Gerontol., 1955, 10, 91–107.
Bell, Anne and Zubek, J. P. The effect of age on the intellectual performance of mental defectives. J. Gerontol., 1960, 15, 285–295.
Berger, L., Bernstein, A., Klein, E., Cohen, J., and Lucas, G. Effects of aging and pathology on the factorial structure of intelligence. J. consult. Psychol., 1964, 28, 199–207.
Berkowitz, B. Changes in intellect with age: IV. Changes in achievement and survival in older people. J. genet. Psychol., 1965, 107, 3–14.
Berkowitz, B. and Green, R. F. Changes in intellect with age: I. Longitudinal study of Wechsler-Bellevue sources. J. genet. Psychol., 1963, 103, 3–21.
Birren, J. E. and Morrison, D. F. Analysis of the WAIS subtests in relation to age and education. J. Gerontol., 1961, 16, 363–369.
Botwinick, J. Wechsler-Bellevue split-half subtest reliabilities: Differences in age and mental status. J. consult. Psychol., 1953, 17, 225–228.
Botwinick, J. Drives, expectancies, and emotions. In: J. E. Birren (Ed.), Handbook of Aging and the Individual: Psychological and Biological Aspects. Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press, 1959, (Chapter 21, pp. 739–768 ).
Botwinick, J. and Birren, J. E. Differential decline in the Wechsler-Bellevue subtests in the senile psychoses. J. Gerontol., 1951, 6, 365–368.
Botwinick, J. and Birren, J. E. Cognitive processes: mental abilities and psychomotor responses in healthy aged men. In: J. E. Birren et al. (Eds.), Human Aging: A Biological and Behavioral Study. U.S. Gov’t. Printing Office, 1963, (Chapter 8, pp. 97–108 ).
Charles, D. C. Ability and accomplishment of persons earlier judged mentally deficient. Genet. Psychol. Monogr., 1953, 47, 3.
Chown, Sheila M. Age and the rigidities. J. Gerontol., 1961, 16, 353–362.
Cohen, J. The factorial structure of the WAIS between early adulthood and old age. J. consult. Psychol., 1957, 21, 283–290.
Demming, J. A. and Pressey, S. L. Tests “indigenous” to the adult and older years. J. counsel. Psychol., 1957, 2, 144–148.
Doppelt, J. E. and Wallace, W. L. Standardization of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale for older persons. J. abnorm. soc. Psychol., 1955, 51, 312–330.
Eisdorfer, C. The WAIS performance of the aged: A retest evaluation. J. Gerontol., 1963, 2, 169–172.
Foulds, G. A. and Raven, J. C. Normal changes in the mental abilities of adults as age advances. J. ment. Sci., 1948, 94, 133–142.
Jarvik, Lissy F. and Falek, A. Intellectual stability and survival in the aged. J. Gerontol., 1963, 18, 173–176.
Jarvik, Lissy F., Kallmann, F. J., Falek, A., and Klaber, M. M. Changing intellectual functions in senescent twins. Acta genet. et statis. Med., 1957, 7, 421–430.
Jarvik, Lissy F., Kallmann, F. J., and Falek, A. Intellectual changes in aged twins. J. Gerontol., 1962, 17, 289–294.
Jones, H. E. Intelligence and problem-solving. In: J. E. Birren (Ed.), Handbook of Aging and the Individual: Psychological and Biological Aspects. Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press, 1959, (Chapter 20, pp. 700–738 ).
Jones, H. E. and Conrad, H. S. The growth and decline of intelligence: a study of homogeneous population between the ages of ten and sixty. Genet. Psychol. Monogr., 1933, 13, 233–298.
Kallmann, F. J. and Jarvik, Lissy F. Individual differences in constitution and genetic background. In: J. E. Birren (Ed.), Handbook of Aging and the Individual: Psychological and Biological Aspects. Chicago: Univ. of Chicago Press, 1959, (Chapter 8, pp. 216–263 ).
Kaplan, O. J. Mental decline in older morons. Amer. J. ment. Defic. 1943, 47,277–285.
Kleemeier, R. W. Intellectual Change in the Senium or Death and the I.Q. Presi- dential Address, American Psychological Association, 1961, ( Mimeograph).
Kleemeier, R. W. Intellectual Change in the Senium. Proceedings of the Social Statistics Section of the American Statistical Association, 1962, pp. 290–295.
Lane, M. G. and Vates, T. S., Jr. Medical selection, evaluation, and classification of subjects. In: J. E. Birren et al. (Eds.), Human Aging: A Biological and Behavioral Study. U.S. Gov’t Printing Office, 1963, (Chapter 3, pp. 11–25 ).
Lorge, I. The influence of test upon the nature of mental decline as a function of age. J. educ. Psychol., 1936, 27, 100–110.
McHugh, R. B. and Owens, W. A. Age changes in mental organization—a longitudinal study. J. Gerontol., 1954, 9, 296–302.
Miles, Catherine C. The influence of speed and age on intelligence scores of adults. J. gen. Psychol., 1934, 10, 208–210.
Nisbet, J. D. Intelligence and age: retesting with twenty four years interval. Brit. J. educ. Psychol., 1957, 27, 190–198.
Obrist, W. D., Busse, E. W., Eisdorfer, C., and Kleemeier, R. W. Relation of the electroencephalogram to intellectual function in senescence. J. Gerontol., 1962, 17, 197–206.
Orme, J. E. Non-verbal and verbal performance in normal old age, senile dementia, and elderly depression. J. Gerontol., 1957, 12, 408–413.
Owens, W. A. Jr. Age and mental abilities: A longitudinal study. Genet. Psychol. Monogr., 1953, 48, 3–54.
Owens, W. A., Jr. Is age kinder to the initially more able? J. Gerontol., 1959, 14, 334–337.
Owens, W. A., Jr. Age and mental abilities: a second adult follow-up. J. educ. Psychol., 1966, 51, 311–325.
Pressey, S. L. and Kuhlen, R. G. Psychological Development Through the Life Span. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1957.
Rabin, A. I. Psychometric trends in senility and psychoses of the senium. J. gen. Psychol., 1945, 32, 149–162.
Schaie, K. W. Rigidity-flexibility and intelligence: a cross-sectional study of the adult life span from 20 to 70 years. Psychol. Monogr., 1958, 72, 1–25.
Wechsler, D. The Measurement and Appraisal of Adult Intelligence ( 4th ed. ). Baltimore: Williams and Wilkins, 1958.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1967 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Botwinick, J. (1967). Potential and Actual Intellective Ability. In: Cognitive Processes in Maturity and Old Age. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-39890-6_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-39890-6_2
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-662-38941-6
Online ISBN: 978-3-662-39890-6
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive