Cross-sectional age relations show monotonic decline in fluid cognition (age-reasoning correlation about −0.40) but stability followed by decline for acquired knowledge¶
Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · reviewr2·q2–q3
Currency · newest study 2012 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person
Subclaims¶
Reading the evidence codes
q is the design tier, i the impact, n the sample, and the kind with its r
the rigour judged within that kind: what each code means.
This claim: no standardized effect is recorded in observations/ for it yet, so no benchmark reading is possible.
q3 i? A meta-analysis of 38 correlations estimated the age-reasoning correlation at −0.40, close to −0.39 in the Salthouse dataset and −0.43 in WAIS-IV normative data. → Salthouse 2012
q3 i? Measures of acquired knowledge typically increase until about age 60 and then gradually decline, a distinct pattern from fluid measures. → Salthouse 2012 (2)
Evidence¶
Salthouse 2012¶
Salthouse, T. (2012). Consequences of Age-Related Cognitive Declines. Annual Review of Psychology, 63, 201-226. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-120710-100328
q3 · i? · review · r2
Review of cross-sectional age-cognition research. The review reports the meta-analytic estimate: "their estimate of the age-reasoning correlation was −0.40", consistent with −0.39 in the Salthouse data and −0.43 in the WAIS-IV normative sample of 1,577 adults.
"Verhaeghen & Salthouse (1997) reported a meta-analysis of 38 correlations with a total sample size of over 9,000 adults, and their estimate of the age-reasoning correlation was −0.40"
Salthouse 2012 (2)¶
Salthouse, T. (2012). Consequences of Age-Related Cognitive Declines. Annual Review of Psychology, 63, 201-226. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-120710-100328
q2 · i? · review · r2
Narrative review of cross-sectional age trends in composite measures from the Salthouse studies and the WAIS-IV norms, showing two distinct patterns: monotonic decrease for fluid measures and increase-then-decline for knowledge measures.
"different age trends are apparent in measures of acquired knowledge, as the functions typically increase until about age 60 and then gradually decline"
Discussion¶
Related Claims¶
- Measures of everyday functioning and independent living correlate with psychometric cognition, with stronger relations for fluid reasoning than for crystallized knowledge — related
- Curve estimation shows linear decline in processing speed after age 30, quadratic trajectories for category fluency and IQ, and no age change in letter fluency — related
- When relevant knowledge can be drawn upon, age trends in performance can reverse, with older adults outperforming younger adults on crossword puzzles — related
- Borrowing decisions with the fewest fees occur for middle-aged adults, peaking around age 53, even after controlling for credit risk, home value, and income
Page metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
type |
claim |
id |
age-fluid-decline-knowledge-stable |
title |
Cross-sectional age relations show monotonic decline in fluid cognition (age-reasoning correlation about −0.40) but stability followed by decline for acquired knowledge |
description |
Cross-sectional age relations show monotonic decline in fluid cognition (age-reasoning correlation about −0.40) but stability followed by decline for acquired knowledge |
status |
review |
evidence_strength |
moderate |
newest_evidence |
2012 |
generated |
by process:wiki-ingest on 2026-10-17 |
trust |
unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content |
sources |
2 — salthouse-2012, salthouse-2012-2 |
Frontmatter is the page's machine-readable record — see the Schema & Guide.