PROBLEM-SOLVING IN OLDER ADULTS - A GERMA N ADAPTATION OF THE EVERYDAY PROBLEM-SOLVING INVENTORY

We examined the everyday problem solving performance in a sample popul ation of 100 older adults between 60 and 89 years of age with a short German version of Cornelius and Caspi's (1987) Everyday Problem Solvin g Inventory. The results of the first study indicate of the German and the original versions are comparable. The second study involving this relatively old population examined the changes in pragmatic intellige nce with in creasing age. Subjects demonstrated stable performance in a vocabulary rest, a small age decrement in problem solving performanc e, and a large age decrement in a speed test. The findings indicate th at in very old age even the solving of typical everyday problems may r equire the maximum of the available cognitive resources.