Many factors affect cognitive development in late adulthood, including physical changes such as hearing loss, a slowing of information processing in the brain, and increased difficulty in focusing and problem-solving ability. The comprehension of new facts is generally not affected by aging.
What is late adulthood development?
We are considered to be in late adulthood from the time we reach our mid-sixties until death. This is the longest developmental stage across the lifespan, and a growing age group. By 2030, 1 in 6 people in the world will be aged 60 years or over (WHO, 2021).
What cognitive change is most likely to happen in late adulthood?
The most noticeable changes in attention that occur with age are declines in performance on complex attentional tasks such as selective or divided attention. Selective attention is the ability to focus on specific information in an environment while at the same time ignoring irrelevant information.