Adaptation for Growth Via Learning New Skills as a Means to Long-Term Functional Independence in Older Adulthood: Insights From Emerging Adulthood

Nguyen, Courtney; Leanos, Shirley; Natsuaki, Misaki N.; Rebok, George W.; Wu, Rachel

doi:10.1093/geront/gny128

Cited by 19 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 61 publications

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“…As a result, luxurious long hours once spent learning about novel skills gradually become dedicated to honing and utilizing those existing skills (Wu et al, 2017). One of the main reasons for pursuing this research area of lifespan novel skill learning is that as environmental demands change (e.g., increased need for technology use, Charness & Boot, 2009), novel skill learning is becoming increasingly essential for many middle-age and older adults (Czaja et al, 2020;Nguyen et al, 2020). A better understanding of how novel skill learning can be facilitated in adulthood is essential for nurturing optimal adult development.…”

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confidence: 99%

Cognitive and metacognitive, motivational, and resource considerations for learning new skills across the lifespan

Sheffler

Rodríguez

Cheung

et al. 2021

WIRES Cognitive Science

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Across the lifespan, learners have to tackle the challenges of learning new skills. These skills can range from abilities needed for survival, such as learning languages, learning to walk during infancy, and learning new software for a job in adulthood, to abilities related to leisure and hobbies. As the learner progresses through novice to expert stages, there are cognitive and metacognitive, motivational, and resource considerations for learning new skills. In terms of cognitive considerations, fluid and crystallized abilities as well as executive functions interact to help the learner process and retain information related to the skills. In terms of metacognitive considerations, knowing what to learn and how to learn are important for novel skill learning. In terms of motivational considerations, changes in individuals' intrinsic and extrinsic motivation throughout the lifespan impact their pursuit of novel skill learning, and declines in motivation can be buffered through the cultivation of grit, growth mindset, self-efficacy, and other personal factors. In terms of resource considerations, there are many tools that learners can use to acquire new skills, but allocation and availability of these resources differ based on life stage and socioeconomic status. Taken together, these considerations may provide learners with the best chance at acquiring new skills across the lifespan. Further research investigating these three factors, particularly among older adult learners, and their interactive effects could help increase our understanding of their impacts on skill learning and inform future cognitive interventions that can be tailored to learners' unique needs.

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confidence: 99%

Cognitive and metacognitive, motivational, and resource considerations for learning new skills across the lifespan

Sheffler

Rodríguez

Cheung

et al. 2021

WIRES Cognitive Science

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“…This observation has led some researchers to propose that children explore more often than exploit to adapt to the existing environment, whereas adults, who have adapted, exploit more than they explore (Gopnik et al, 2015). A new theoretical approach (Nguyen, Leanos, Natsuaki, Rebok, & Wu, 2018; Wu, Rebok, & Lin, 2017) posits that adaptation is relevant for all age groups (rather than just infancy and childhood) because the environment is dynamic, rather than static. This theoretical approach suggests that learning what to learn is a problem relevant across the entire life span, from infancy to older adulthood.…”

Section: Learning What To Learn Across the Life Spanmentioning

confidence: 99%

Learning What to Learn Across the Life Span: From Objects to Real-World Skills

2019

Curr Dir Psychol Sci

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One of the most difficult and important problems that all learners face across the life span is learning what to learn. Understanding what to learn is difficult when both relevant and irrelevant information compete for attention. In these situations, the learner can rely on cues in the environment, as well as prior knowledge. However, these sources of information sometimes conflict, and the learner has to prioritize some sources over others. Determining what to learn is important because learning relevant information helps the learner achieve goals, whereas learning irrelevant information can waste time and energy. A new theoretical approach posits that adaptation is relevant for all age groups because the environment is dynamic, suggesting that learning what to learn is a problem relevant across the life span instead of only during infancy and childhood. In this article, I review new research demonstrating the importance and ways of learning what to learn across the life span, from objects to real-world skills, before highlighting some unresolved issues for future research.

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“…We seek to extend prior work on the benefits of learning by contending that learning new skills and content is an important privilege across the life span. Learning is important for achieving and maintaining functional independence (i.e., performing daily tasks with little or no assistance), such as effectively using new technological devices and successfully navigating in new environments (e.g., Nguyen et al, 2020). Learning new difficult skills and novel content is a privilege because it requires time, motivation, and societal support (e.g., education, mentors, supplies), not afforded to all (e.g., Wu et al, 2017).…”

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Learning as an Important Privilege: A Life Span Perspective with Implications for Successful Aging

Zhao

Cheung

et al. 2021

Human Development

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Research has demonstrated the cognitive and mental health benefits of learning new skills and content across the life span, enhancing knowledge as well as cognitive performance. We argue that the importance of this learning – which is not available equally to all – goes beyond the cognitive and mental health benefits. Learning is important for not only the maintenance, but also enhancement of functional independence in a dynamic environment, such as changes induced by the COVID-19 pandemic and technological advances. Learning difficult skills and content is a privilege because the opportunities for learning are neither guaranteed nor universal, and it requires personal and social engagement, time, motivation, and societal support. This paper highlights the importance of considering learning new skills and content as an important privilege across the life span and argues that this privilege becomes increasingly exclusionary as individuals age, when social and infrastructural support for learning decreases. We highlight research on the potential positive and negative impacts of retirement, when accessibility to learning opportunities may vary, and research on learning barriers due to low expectations and limited resources from poverty. We conclude that addressing barriers to lifelong learning would advance theories on life span cognitive development and raise the bar for successful aging. In doing so, our society might imagine and achieve previously unrealized gains in life span cognitive development, through late adulthood.

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Adaptation for Growth Via Learning New Skills as a Means to Long-Term Functional Independence in Older Adulthood: Insights From Emerging Adulthood

Cited by 19 publications

References 61 publications

Cognitive and metacognitive, motivational, and resource considerations for learning new skills across the lifespan

Cognitive and metacognitive, motivational, and resource considerations for learning new skills across the lifespan

Learning What to Learn Across the Life Span: From Objects to Real-World Skills

Learning as an Important Privilege: A Life Span Perspective with Implications for Successful Aging

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