Be able to describe all of the components of the human information processing system.
What happens to our information processing system as we get older?
In what situations might a healthy old person show episodic memory problems?
What types of problems do some older individuals experience storing and retrieving information?

What is the difference between free recall and priming/recognition?
What impact does aging have on recall and recognition?
What evidence would suggest extrinsic/secondary factors are a chief culprit in regards
to the subtle memory deficits one observes among some healthy elderly?
Be able to describe various cognitive retraining methods and define and provide examples of:
episodic buffer, working memory; elaboration; organization; episodic, procedural/implicit, semantic memory; priming;
control processes/mnemonics.
How does aging affect these issues?

What happens to our intelligence as we get older?  What factors seem to offset decline?

Be able to define and give examples of creativity, autobiographical memory,
pragmatic thinking, postformal thought, & wisdom?  How does aging affect these abilities?

Distinguish between crystallized/pragmatic
and fluid/mechanic intelligence, as well as the various theories of intellect outlined in class and in your book.
What evidence suggests that cognitive development may actually take place during old age for some?

What is the difference between acute and chronic memory loss?  What are the possible causes of acute memory loss/deliriums?
What are some diseases that can cause chronic memory loss/dementias?
How is Alzhimer's disease diagnosed?  How is Alzhimer's different from multi-infarct dementia in terms
of symptoms and disease course?
What are the declines associated with Alzheimer's disease?
How do they get worse as the disease progresses?
What are the biggest stressors facing caregivers?  What are some ways to help caregivers of Alzheimer's patients?

What are some interventions that have been designed to help physically
disabled nursing home residents from experiencing acute memory problems?

Be able to describe the Kubler-Ross model of death and dying.  What are some disadvantages to this model?
According to the Harvard Bereavement Study, what is a "normal grieving pattern"?
What factors can bring on bereavement/abnormal grief?  How do we know if a person is unresovled regarding a death?

There will be a couple of questions from the movie "Aging"