Effects of cognitive training and testing on intellectual efficacy beliefs in elderly adults

• Main Authors: Dittmann-Kohli, Freya, Lachmann, Margie E., Kliegl, Reinhold, Baltes, Paul B.
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: Universität Potsdam 1991
• Subjects: Psychology
• Online Access: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus-40351; http://opus.kobv.de/ubp/volltexte/2010/4035/

Elderly adults (N = 116; average age = 73 years) were randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups varying in the amount of training and testing on fluid intelligence tests. They were compared before and after treatment on self-efficacy and utility beliefs for intelligence tests and everyday competence. Although both ability training and extended retest practice resulted in significant gains in objective test performance (Baltes, Kliegl, & Dittmann-Kohli, 1988), only ability training resulted in positive changes in self-efficacy. However, these changes were restricted to testrelated self-efficacy. Training had no impact on perceived utility or on everyday self-efficacy beliefs. Implications of the results are discussed with regard to interventions to increase intellectual self-efficacy in elderly persons.