Topic III Intellectual Development in Early Adulthood

Does intelligence increase or decrease during adulthood? This question has plagued
psychologists for decades. Cross-sectional studies of IQ tend to show that young adults
perform better than middle-aged or older adults, while longitudinal studies of IQ appear to
indicate that people increase in intelligence through the decades, at least until their 50s.
But the issue of intellectual development in adulthood is not so straightforward or simple.
The results of the cross-sectional studies—younger adults, as a group, do better on IQ tests
—may be due more to cohort influences, such as longer schooling or greater exposure to
television than that enjoyed by the previous generation, than to aging influences. The
results of the longitudinal studies—over time, persons do better on IQ tests—may be due
to the effects of practice, increased comfort taking such tests, or the tendency for those
who remain in the studies to perform better than those who drop out.
Attempts to measure IQ are complicated by the fact that there are different types of
intelligence. Crystallized intelligence is the ability to use learned information collected
throughout a lifetime, and fluid intelligence is the ability to think abstractly and deal with
novel situations. Young adults tend to score higher on tests of fluid intelligence, while
middle adults tend to score higher on tests of crystallized intelligence. Variables unique to
young, middle, and older adults complicate any comparison of IQs among the groups. All
things considered, the results of traditional IQ tests suggest that intelligence usually
continues at least at the same level through young and middle adulthood.
Thinking patterns
Young adult thinking, especially in a person’s early 20s, resembles adolescent thinking in
many ways. Many young people see life from an idealistic point of view, in which
marriage is a fairy tale where lovers live happily ever after, political leaders never lie or
distort the truth, and salespeople always have consumers’ best interests in mind.
People in their 20s have not always had the benefit of multiple life experiences, so they
may still view the world from a naively trusting and black-or-white perspective. This is
not to say that young adults do not question their world, challenge rules, or handle
conflicts.
These, and more, are normal developmental tasks that lead to realistic thinking and
recognition of life’s ambiguities. But until young adults reach that level of thinking, they
may want absolute answers from absolute authorities.
Many young adults—particularly those who have attended college—develop the ability to
reason logically, solve theoretical problems, and think abstractly. They have reached
Piaget’s formal operations stage of cognitive development. During this stage, individuals
can also classify and compare objects and ideas, systematically seek solutions to problems,
and consider future possibilities.
As young adults confront and work through the gray areas of life, some may go on to
develop postformal thinking, or practical street smarts. Developing the wisdom
associated with postformal thinking is a lifelong process, which begins in the teenage
years and is fully realized in the older adult years.