Elsevier

Acta Psychologica

Volume 86, Issues 2–3, August 1994, Pages 199-225
Acta Psychologica

Processing speed as a mental capacity

https://doi.org/10.1016/0001-6918(94)90003-5Get rights and content

Abstract

Throughout the lifespan, there are pronounced age differences in speed of processing, differences that are consistently related to performance on measures of higher-order cognition. In this article, we examine domain-specific and global explanations of these age differences in processing speed; we conclude that although experience can play a role in age differences in speed, there is also evidence that a general mechanism limits speeded performance. We also review research that shows the influence of processing speed on the quality of performance on nonspeeded tasks such as reasoning and memory. We suggest that speed of processing should be viewed as a fundamental part of the architechture of the cognitive system as it develops across the entire lifespan.

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