180 Irving Lorge 



recognized that since vocabulary reflects schooling, there will 

 be an overestimation of level for persons with more than 

 average schooling and hence a corresponding overestimation of 

 the deterioration. This overestimation will be most noticeable 

 if the performance items show relatively lower correlation 

 with schooling than do vocabulary tests. 



Perhaps a more significant find with respect to differences 

 of younger and older adults in mental performances is given by 

 Goldstein (Goldstein and Scheerer, 1941). He suggested a 

 difference in attitude (or process) toward intellectual tasks. 

 Older adults approach intellectual tasks with more of a con- 

 crete attitude than do younger adults. Younger adults tend 

 to show more of an abstract attitude. To the degree that con- 

 crete attitude is related to crystallization of approach, and to 

 the degree that abstract attitude is related to fluid approach, 

 these results of Goldstein should influence the interpretation of 

 intelligence test scores. 



Goldstein's dichotomy between fluidity and crystallization 

 or between concrete and abstract suggests that ways of ap- 

 proaching intellectual tasks may be related to personality. 

 It is regrettable that tests of emotion and personal adjust- 

 ment are as yet far from adequate, especially for long-term 

 follow-up and large-scale cross-sectional study. Most of the 

 information currently available comes from data about acute 

 or chronic emotional disturbances which a psychiatrist or a 

 clinical psychologist can recognize. Over the years, increased 

 sensitivity to emotional behaviour has shifted the referent for 

 emotional disturbance, but the results, unless related to 

 retrospective anecdotal material, cannot be used except 

 suggestively for estimating the changes in adjustment in 

 ageing or differences between age groups. 



The usual measures derive from inventories of reported 

 feelings and behaviours. The famous Wood worth Schedule 

 asked respondents to indicate for themselves answers to 

 questions such as "Are you afraid of high places?", "Do you 

 faint at the sight of blood?", etc. Such schedules have been 

 used widely especially in military settings but they have not 



