Everyday Cognition in Adulthood and Late Life

Front Cover
Leonard W. Poon, David C. Rubin, Barbara A. Wilson
Cambridge University Press, Jan 31, 1992 - Medical - 724 pages
Provides a firm theoretical grounding for the increasing movement of cognitive psychologists, neuropsychologists and their students beyond the laboratory, in an attempt to understand human cognitive abilities as they are manifested in natural contexts. The pros and cons of the laboratory and the real world--the problems of generalizability versus rigor--are thoroughly analyzed, and practical escapes from what has become a false dichotomy are suggested. The authors present relevant data that open up new directions for those studying cognitive aging. Finally, they consider the applications of the new knowledge for clinicians and educators.
 

Contents

Representative design and the quality of generalization
11
The myth of external validity
25
Functional explanations of memory
44
A rationale for
59
Supplementary sources
73
Confessions of a regularity freak
84
Finding the bloody horse
104
memory and cognition in the wild
116
Motivation and aging
373
Issues of structure and function
394
The importance of awareness in memory aging
416
Responding to Tallands challenge
437
Worldknowledge systems
457
Comments on aging memory and its everyday operations
483
Approaches to practical applications
499
Varieties of memory compensation by older adults
509

What do we know about
129
Perspectives on the reader
135
The text the reader and the task
157
The effects of aging on perceived and generated memories
222
Acquisition and utilization of spatial information
265
Innercity decay? Age changes in structure and process
284
The cognitive ecology of problem solving
300
Methodological issues
330
Planning practical memory training for the aged
573
Mnemonics as modified for use by the elderly
598
Designing memorytherapy programs
615
Management of memory problems in a hospital setting
639
Homebased cognitive rehabilitation with the elderly
659
Everyday needs and future prospects
681
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