While age-differences in cognitive performance over the lifespan are well documented, less is known about differences in the cognitive performance network. We explored differences between younger (M = 38.0 years of age, SD = 9.9, n = 73) and older (M = 64.1 years of age, SD = 7.7, n = 73) adults in the connections of fluid intelligence, working memory, speeded attention, and inhibition. While speeded attention is well known to be important throughout the lifespan, network modeling demonstrated that connections between intelligence and working memory were stronger, and intelligence was more central in the older group, whereas speeded attention was more central in the younger group. Additionally, confirmatory factor modeling demonstrated that latent correlations were highest between working memory and intelligence, especially in the older group, whereas correlations of inhibition with the other abilities were the lowest. Taken together, we found notable differences in the cognitive performance network of younger and older adults, which is in line with the idea of process-specific changes in the relations of cognitive abilities.

虽然在整个生命周期中认知表现的年龄差异有据可查，但对认知表现网络的差异知之甚少。我们探讨了年轻（M  = 38.0 岁，SD  = 9.9，n  = 73）和年长（M  = 64.1 岁，SD  = 7.7，n = 73) 成年人在流体智力、工作记忆、快速注意力和抑制方面的联系。虽然众所周知，快速注意力在整个生命周期中都很重要，但网络模型表明，智力和工作记忆之间的联系更强，智力在老年组中更为重要，而快速注意在年轻组中更为重要。此外，验证性因素模型表明，工作记忆和智力之间的潜在相关性最高，尤其是在老年组中，而抑制与其他能力的相关性最低。综上所述，我们发现年轻人和老年人的认知表现网络存在显着差异，这与认知能力关系中特定过程变化的想法是一致的。