monkeybusiness / Depositphotos
Are you upset about turning 60? Take it easy, don’t get upset… Science says that this is when many people reach the pinnacle.
As youth recedes further and further into the past, some people begin to become depressed about the idea of aging.
However, a study, to be published in the November/December issue of the journal Intelligenceshows that there is also a very valid reason not to be discouraged and even to be excited: for many, global psychological functioning actually reaches its highest point between the ages of 55 and 60.
Understanding this, highlight the study authors, Gilles E. Gignac and Marcin Zajenkowski from the University of Western (Australia), in an article in , highlights why people in this age group can be at their best to solve complex problems and exercise leadership roles in the workplace.
Different types of boom
There is a lot of research that shows that humans reach their physical peak in their late 20s and early 30s.
A vast body of studies also demonstrates that people’s raw intellectual abilities — that is, their ability to reason, memorize and process information quickly — tend to begin to decline in their early 20s.
This pattern is reflected in the real world.
Os athletes tend to reach the peak of their career before 30. Os mathematicians often make their most significant contributions to 30 something. Already the chess champions are rarely at the top of their game after 40.
However, when we look beyond pure processing power, a different picture emerges.
From reasoning to emotional stability
In the new study, scientists focused on well-established psychological traits, other than reasoning ability, that can be accurately measured, represent lasting characteristics rather than temporary states, have well-documented age trajectories, and are known to predict real-world performance.
The research identified 16 psychological dimensions that met these criteria.
They included central cognitive abilities such as reasoning, memory span, processing speed, knowledge and emotional intelligence. They also included the so-called “big five” personality traits — extroversion, emotional stability, conscientiousness, openness to experience and agreeableness.
Existing large-scale studies examining the 16 identified dimensions were compiled. By normalizing these studies on a common scale, it was possible to make direct comparisons and map how each trait evolves throughout life.
Peaking later in life
Several of the traits we measure peak much later in life. For example, the conscientiousness peaked around age 65.
A Emotional stability peaked around 75.
Less discussed dimensions, such as moral reasoningalso appear to peak at older adulthood.
And a ability to resist cognitive biases — mental shortcuts that can lead us to make irrational or less accurate decisions — can continue to improve until age 70 and even 80.
When the age-related trajectories of the 16 dimensions were combined into a weighted, theoretically and empirically grounded index, a striking pattern emerged.
O global mental functioning peaked between ages 55 and 60then starting to decline after 65.
To be decline became more pronounced after age 75suggesting that reductions in functioning in older age may accelerate once they begin.
Get rid of age-based assumptions
The study’s findings may help explain why many of the most demanding leadership roles in business, politics and public life are often held by people in their late fifties and early sixties. Thus, although several abilities decline with age, these are balanced by the growth of other important traits. Combined, these forces support better judgment and more thoughtful decision-making — crucial qualities at senior levels.
Despite the findings, older workers face greater difficulties in returning to the labor market after losing their job. To some extent, structural factors can influence hiring decisions. For example, employers may consider hiring someone aged 55 as a short-term investment if retirement at 60 is likely.
However, experiences vary between people.
Research has shown that while some adults experience declines in thinking speed and memory, others maintain these abilities well beyond middle age.
Age alone, therefore, does not determine global cognitive functioning. Thus, consider the two scientists, the evaluations and Analyzes should focus on individuals’ actual abilities and traits rather than age-based assumptions.
A peak, not a countdown
Taken together, these findings highlight the need for more age-inclusive hiring and retention practices, recognizing that many people bring valuable strengths to their work in midlife.
Charles Darwin published The Origin of Species at the age of 50.
Ludwig van Beethoven, at 53 and profoundly deaf, premiered the 9th Symphony.
History is full of people who reached their greatest achievements well beyond what society usually labels as “prime age”. Maybe it’s in Time to stop treating midlife as a countdown — and start recognizing it as a peak.
