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Psych/SocQuestion 3 of 12 in Psych/Soc

MCAT Psych/Soc practice questionCognition and aging

As individuals age, various cognitive abilities undergo changes. Which of the following statements accurately describes a typical pattern of cognitive function in healthy aging?

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The answer

Correct answer: D. Crystallized intelligence, which involves accumulated knowledge and vocabulary, generally remains stable or improves with age.

Tested concept: Aging and cognitive decline

Explanation

In healthy aging, crystallized intelligence, which represents accumulated knowledge and verbal skills, tends to remain stable or even improve. In contrast, fluid intelligence, which involves abilities like processing speed, abstract reasoning, and problem-solving, typically experiences a gradual decline. Not all forms of memory decline uniformly; semantic and procedural memory often remain relatively intact, while episodic memory may show some decline. Furthermore, healthy older adults retain the capacity to learn new information and skills, though the speed of acquisition might decrease.

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