Intraindividual Variability Is Related to Cognitive Change in Older Adults: Evidence for Within-Person Coupling

In this study, the authors addressed the longitudinal nature of intraindividual variability over 3 years. A sample of 304 community-dwelling older adults, initially between the ages of 64 and 92 years, completed 4 waves of annual testing on a battery of accuracy- and latency-based tests covering a w...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychology and aging 2010-09, Vol.25 (3), p.575-586
Main Authors: Bielak, Allison A. M, Hultsch, David F, Strauss, Esther, MacDonald, Stuart W. S, Hunter, Michael A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult. Elderly
Age Distribution
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Aging
Aging - psychology
Biological and medical sciences
Cognition
Cognition Disorders - psychology
Cognitive abilities
Cognitive Ability
Cognitive Development
Cognitive performance
Complex tasks
Developmental psychology
Educational Status
Elderly people
Female
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Human
Human performance
Humans
Inconsistency
Individuality
Intraindividual Variability
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Memory
Memory - physiology
Middle Aged
Older people
Perception - physiology
Problem Solving
Psychology
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Reaction Time - physiology
Task Complexity
Task Performance and Analysis
Variability
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Summary:In this study, the authors addressed the longitudinal nature of intraindividual variability over 3 years. A sample of 304 community-dwelling older adults, initially between the ages of 64 and 92 years, completed 4 waves of annual testing on a battery of accuracy- and latency-based tests covering a wide range of cognitive complexity. Increases in response-time inconsistency on moderately and highly complex tasks were associated with increasing age, but there were significant individual differences in change across the entire sample. The time-varying covariation between cognition and inconsistency was significant across the 1-year intervals and remained stable across both time and age. On occasions when intraindividual variability was high, participants' cognitive performance was correspondingly low. The strength of the coupling relationship was greater for more fluid cognitive domains such as memory, reasoning, and processing speed than for more crystallized domains such as verbal ability. Variability based on moderately and highly complex tasks provided the strongest prediction. These results suggest that intraindividual variability is highly sensitive to even subtle changes in cognitive ability.
ISSN:0882-7974
1939-1498
DOI:10.1037/a0019503