ABSTRACT
The main goal of research in cognitive aging is to understand how cognition changes with age. This first entails determining what changes and what remains stable with age (which cognitive processes are affected and which are not affected during aging). It also requires investigating who is aging fast and who is aging more slowly so as to determine individual characteristics (e.g., lifestyle, cognitive profiles) underlying individual differences during aging. The third general goal of research in cognitive aging is to determine the mechanisms by which age exerts its effects on human cognition. It is not enough to describe age-related differences or similarities in human cognition. It is also necessary to understand the mechanisms responsible for these changes. Finally, research on cognitive aging is conducted with the hope that some means will be discovered to more effectively help older people to have a better life and stay autonomous as long as possible.
