ABSTRACT
As described in many of the earlier chapters in this volume, it is clear that a variety of mental processes decline with age. In chapter I, Park argues that declines in speed of processing, working memory function, and inhibitory processes likely are fundamental mechanisms that account for poorer memory function in late adulthood. Despite a wealth of laboratory evidence that these cognitive resources decline with age and are critically important in understanding performance on cognitive tasks, surprisingly little is known about their importance for function in everyday life. Interest in theory-driven applied research, however, is growing (Park, 1992). In this chapter, we examine the meaning of normal, age-related cognitive deficits for everyday life, drawing on work that has utilized what is known about age changes in basic cognitive processes to understand real-world problems of aging.
