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Paper Abstract: Examined as a field of discipline for the 21st Century. Discusses the relevance of the discipline as the American population ages. Changing age distribution in the U.S.; baby boomers. The intellectual functioning of adults and current theories of adult human intellectual development. Concept of life-long learning. Importance of accelerated learning. Paper Introduction: DESCRIPTION OF ADULT INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE 21ST CENTURY Introduction The purpose of this paper is to describe adult intellectual development as a field of discipline in the 21st century. The paper begins with an examination of the graying of the American population during this century and discusses the relevance of the discipline for the continuing shift in the age distribution as the 21st century progresses. Adult Intellectual Development is then defined as a field of inquiry and its foundational framework is briefly delineated. There is also some discussion of seminal work in the field. Finally, the paper discusses a few areas of research that are likely to become increasingly important as the century develops. Description Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.. The hope here is that with training, practice, and social support, olderadults will increasingly be able to draw upon their mental reserves. In thisregard, the authors state that even the first decade of the 21st century isexperiencing a growth of older adults as a major political and economicforce which will only increase as the century unfolds. W. InH. Within this context, Merizow's work seeks to explain howadult learners make sense or meaning of their experiences, the nature ofthe structures that influence the way they construe experience, thedynamics involved in modifying meanings, and the way the structures ofmeaning themselves undergo changes when learners find currently heldframeworks to be dysfunctional in their lives. In this regard, change is said to occur in two forms. However, moreand more adults are electing to maintain their cognitive status by goingback to school. To achieve accelerated learning in the 21st century adult learningclassroom, Rose and Nicholl (1998) recommend a six-step master plan. B., Lindenberger, H. There is at least partial support for the idea that abilitieswhich are primarily genetically determined tend to decline earlier thanabilities acquired through training; however, after age 7 , abilitiesacquired through training.** In terms of future trends in Adult Intellectual Development, Papalia(2 ) states that in the 21st century, the field is going to be using itstheory and research (such as that conducted in the Seattle LongitudinalStudy) toward helping older people to improve their intellectualperformance and that, therefore, continuing research on "plasticity"(variability and modifiability in performance) will be a substantialelement of the field of adult intellectual development in the 21st century. All of the foregoing steps are likely to be taken by adult educatorsin the 21st century as they increasingly engage adults in the learningexperience using a transformative and accelerated learning focus. Papalia, D. This increase willplace major strains on social security, other pension systems, health carecosts, and the costs of other human services. In brief, the findings of this seminal research (as currently madeavailable) are as follows: 1. Schaie, K. According to Mezirow &associates among the new perspectives that will be needed are: a languagethat more concretely describes the process to educations (one that is moreaccessible and amenable to education) than the psychoanalytic and criticaltheory terms currently employed; stronger models of how people experiencecritical reflection (viscerally as well as cognitively), and how they dealwith the risks changing their meanings and perspectives may entail. Third, there needs to be a stage at which facts are turned intomeaning so that adults can truly understand the material. Indeed, the most rapidlygrowing segment of the American population, according to Baltes et. London: Grenwich Medical Media. Human development (8th ed.) NY: McGraw-Hill. & Nicholl, M. (1998). 2. Interms of the use of this plan for educators, it can be noted that learningmust begin with educators assisting students to achieve that "resourcefulstate of mind" associated with feelings of confidence and relaxation aswell as motivation. NY: University Press. For example, interms of learners needs, rote memorization means little without a relatedinterpretation whether it be in a story form or a hands-on project createdby the adult learner. Asresearch and knowledge progresses in this area, late adulthood may nolonger be a time of intellectual decline. Rather, the discipline focuses on theentire lifespan from young adulthood into advanced old age. Fourth, once adult learners understand a givenconcept, educational methods must focus on fostering their long-term recallof the material and their ability to access it on demand. The paper beginswith an examination of the graying of the American population during thiscentury and discusses the relevance of the discipline for the continuingshift in the age distribution as the 21st century progresses. (2 ). 263-271). Lerner (ed.), Handbook ofchild psychology: Vol 1. Among the many questions asked by those involved in the 21st centuryexploration of Adult Intellectual Development are the following: (1) Whatis intelligence and how is it appropriately measured: (2) What are thevariations in terms of peaks and declines in adult intelligence? and Associates. DESCRIPTION OF ADULT INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT IN THE 21ST CENTURY Introduction The purpose of this paper is to describe adult intellectualdevelopment as a field of discipline in the 21st century. AdultIntellectual Development is then defined as a field of inquiry and itsfoundational framework is briefly delineated. (pp. M. Butler (Eds.), Cognitive decline: Strategies forprevention (pp. One area of research into adult development isintellect. There is also some discussionof seminal work in the field. Mezirow, J. Methods in thisregard might include the use of: "association, categorization,storytelling, acronyms, flash cards, learning maps, music and review. New York: Dell. The second is qualitative change or changes in kind, structureor organization. The discipline of Adult Intellectual Development concerns itself withintellectual functioning of adults as they age (Schaie, 1997). Nebraska Symposium on Motivation, 39, 39, 123-167. The Seattle longitudinal studies of adultintelligence. Data are also collected from siblings and adultchildren to determine family similarity. (3) Whatfactors affect a person's intelligence during adulthood?; (4) What are thegenerational differences and within-generation differences in intelligencein adulthood?; and (5) How should science establish sufficient competencefor independent living in the later stages of life? The answers to eachand every one of these questions will have great importance during thiscentury in terms of helping society to meet the needs of a large olderpopulation. Learningquickly (accelerated learning), is defined by the authors, in terms ofseveral basic skills including: reading and absorbing information faster;improving writing skills; improving memory skills; being able to study moreeffectively; getting the best possible outcomes from exams; and using one'spersonally preferred way of learning. (1998). N. In this regard, Mezirow & associations (2 ) have discussedtransformative learning as the learning process by which adults come torecognize and re-frame culturally induced dependency roles andrelationships. Life spantheory in developmental psychology. M. Second, educators must help the student to learn basedon his or her sensory learning references (e.g., by seeing or by listening,etc.). Theoretical models of human development. NY:Wiley. (1998). Salthouse (Eds.) Essentialpapers on the psychology of aging. Finally, adult intellectual development as a field of scientificinquiry, was in the last century and will in the 21st century increasinglyapplied to the area of life-long learning. A total of 4,957 adults have participated in thisstudy; of these, 7 have been examined since 1956. There is no uniform pattern of age-related change acrossintellectual ability. With respect to the foregoing, one very important area is going to be"accelerated learning." According to Rose and Nicholl (1998),adult learningmust accommodate itself to the competitive, changing world of the 21stcentury which mans that adults must be able to learn quickly. J. Subject mortality isabout 5 percent per year. Adult Intellectual Development as it is conceptualized in the 21stcentury rests on the framework of lifespan developmental psychology which,according to Papalia (2 ) is the study of changes in human behavior thatoccur as a result of developmental processes such as maturation andexperience. Schaie, K. However, perhaps the most interesting work in the field of adultintellectual development during the 21st study will be transformativelearning. M. Description Baltes, Lindenberger and Staudinger (1998) report that projectionsfor the year 2 3 (the year when the last of the baby boomers turn 65),show dramatic changes in the age distribution of the United States. Learning as transformation:Critical perspectives on a theory in progress. In terms of seminal work in the field, the most extensive researchavailable on intellectual development in adulthood is the SeattleLongitudinal Study, begun in 1956 by Schaie and updated every seven years(See: Schaie, 1998). And the intellectual activityengaged in can be quite diverse in scope such as reading, conversing,crossword puzzles, games like bridge or chess, and so forth. E. As the 21st century continues, many tasks will remain for researchersand theorists in terms of expanding upon the idea of transformativelearning, and most especially critical reflection as a dimension of adultlearning which is strongly stressed in Mezirow & Associates' (2 ) basicframework as to the processes of adult learning. Thus the relevance ofAdult Intellectual Development for lifelong learning is that 21st centuryresearch in the field will be increasingly examining for the best methods,techniques, and strategies for fostering the learning of older and evenelderly adults. Moreover, the combination of all three sensory preferences willstrengthen the understanding of any subject matter. Wisdom andsuccessful aging. References Baltes, P. First,there is quantitative change consisting of the changes in number or amountof something such as changes in weight, height or other purely physicalprocesses. & Staudinger, U. P. W. Fillit & R. A key question here is: Is the United States prepared to meet thechanging age distribution of the American population in the 21st century?Clearly, one way to prepare ourselves is to refine and elaborate on ourmodels of adult development as this will provide a general context in whichwe may better understand how to meet the needs associated with the shift inthe age distribution. Andsixth, students must reflect on the learning experience itself, how theylearned the material, the methods and processes they employed, and soforth. Intelligence and intellectual or cognitive development andfunctioning tend to be qualitative changes. (1992). (2 ). B., Smith, J., & Staudinger, U. Normal cognitive development in adulthood. 9-21). al isthat of people 85 years of age or older which is expected to increase 4 percent from 1995 to 2 5 . Indeed, Papalia (2 ) reportsthe principal findings in the field with respect to aging and intellectualfunctioning is "use it or lose it." Ongoing cognitive activity andstimulation during adulthood development has been found, Papalia states, tomaintain strong intellectual performance. It is the findings of the Seattle Longitudinal Study that have shapedmost current theoretical thought on adult human development. Powell Lawton & Timothy A. These findingsare, therefore, important to understanding the field and notions aboutAdult Intellectual Development as conceptualized in the 21st century. Finally, the paper discusses a few areas ofresearch that are likely to become increasingly important as the centurydevelops. Accelerated learning for the21st century: The six-step plan to unlock your master-mind. Baltes, P. Fifth, cooperative learning techniques should be employed to helpadult learners to solidify their general understanding of the material. . (1997). In M. In thisregard, Schaie (1997)points out that examination of adult intellectualdevelopment does not merely concern itself with the aging of intellectualabilities in older or elderly people. In R. Rose, C. Papalia (2 ) reports that through a focus on life-time learning,older people can learn new skills and information. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.