ABSTRACT

Previous research has assumed that all types of semantic knowledge are similarly affected by aging. We investigate whether knowledge of vocabulary and math concepts show comparable lifetime change. A sample of 252 participants aged 17–91 completed two multiple-choice tasks that examined knowledge of infrequent word meanings and knowledge of basic math concepts. Up to age 64, vocabulary scores improved, whereas math scores remained stable. After that age, vocabulary scores remained stable, while math scores declined. We suggest that the fact that the learning and use of infrequent vocabulary are incidental, incremental, and contextual contributes to maintenance of word knowledge into old age. In contrast, learning of basic math concepts occurs relatively early in life in an intentional manner, and both learning and use of these concepts involve constrained contexts. Thus, the nature of the acquisition and use of semantic knowledge across the lifespan affects its fate in old age.

摘要

以前的研究假设所有类型的语义知识都同样受到老化的影响。我们调查词汇和数学概念的知识是否显示出可比的一生变化。252 名 17 至 91 岁的参与者样本完成了两项多项选择题，检查不常用词的含义知识和基本数学概念的知识。直到 64 岁，词汇成绩有所提高，而数学成绩保持稳定。在那个年龄之后，词汇成绩保持稳定，而数学成绩下降。我们认为，不常用词汇的学习和使用是偶然的、渐进的和上下文相关的，这一事实有助于将词汇知识保持到老年。相比之下，基本数学概念的学习是在相对较早的时候有意识地进行的，并且这些概念的学习和使用都涉及受限的上下文。因此，在整个生命周期中获取和使用语义知识的性质会影响其在晚年的命运。