3 COMPONENTS OF INTELLECTUAL-DEVELOPMENT IN OLD-AGE - RESULTS FROM THE BONN LONGITUDINAL-STUDY OF AGING

Life-span developmental psychology has demonstrated that further cogni tive development takes place also in old age. Therefore, this study ai ms at locating a distinct intellectual structure of older people. Twel ve cognitive measures from the ''Bonn Longitudinal Study of Aging'' ar e analyzed. Factoranalysis reveals a model with three components: a cr ystallized, a visual, and a memory component. They represent also diff erent cognitive strategies. Within the aging process the crystallized component is the most stable one. Up to 70 respectively 75 years no de crement can be observed in the development of the other two components . When people are more than 80 years old the number of factors is redu ced to two. This is regarded as a process of focusing resources. Verba l and visual strategies are integrated in order to compensate losses.