Changing Minds: How Aging Affects Language and How Language Affects Aging

by Roger J. Kreuz, Richard Roberts (Contributor)

Why language ability remains resilient and how it shapes our lives.

We acquire our native language, seemingly without effort, in infancy and early childhood. Language is our constant companion throughout our lifetime, even as we age. Indeed, compared with other aspects of cognition, language seems to be fairly resilient through the process of aging. In Changing Minds, Roger Kreuz and Richard Roberts examine how aging affects language--and how language affects aging.

Kreuz and Roberts report that what appear to be changes in an older person's language ability are actually produced by declines in such other cognitive processes as memory and perception. Some language abilities, including vocabulary size and writing ability, may even improve with age. And certain language activities--including reading fiction and engaging in conversation--may even help us live fuller and healthier lives.

Kreuz and Roberts explain the cognitive processes underlying our language ability, exploring in particular how changes in these processes lead to changes in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. They consider, among other things, the inability to produce a word that's on the tip of your tongue--and suggest that the increasing incidence of this with age may be the result of a surfeit of world knowledge. For example, older people can be better storytellers, and (something to remember at a family reunion) their perceived tendency toward off-topic verbosity may actually reflect communicative goals.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Linguistics, Education, Neuroscience, Psychology

288 pages, Hardcover

Published October 1, 2019

About the author

Roger J. Kreuz a.k.a. Roger Kreuz has been a professor of psychology for 35 years. After studying psychology and linguistics at the University of Toledo, he earned master's and doctoral degrees in experimental psychology at Princeton University. He was also a post-doctoral researcher in cognitive gerontology at Duke University. Since 1988, he has been a faculty member at the University of Memphis. He has researched and published on diverse topics in the psychology of language, primarily in the areas of text and discourse processing and figurative language. He currently serves as an associate dean and as Director of Graduate Studies in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Memphis.

Reviews

[Poh Kam Wong · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful account of the scientific evidence for various hypotheses about how aging may affect our linguistic competencies, and vice versa. The wide-ranging topics covered span not only the usual concerns (e.g. how declines in other cognitive processes as memory and hearing/vision could affect our language ability) but also intriguing questions such as whether aging leads to decline in grammatical complexity, vocabulary size, and ability to decode ambiguous language (e.g. metaphor, sarcasm and verbal ironies), or increase in proneness for Tip of the Tongue (TOT) and Off-Topic Verbosity (OTV) (yes, these are scientific terms). The scientific evidence for many such alleged aging effects is surprisingly mixed/context dependent, and in some cases, contrary to popular beliefs, e.g. there is no decline in grammatical complexity, and actually an increase in vocabulary size, with normal aging; where there is decline, it is actually a tell-tale sign of the onset of Alzheimer's Disease (AD), e.g. an analysis of Ronald Reagan's meet the press statements shows a significant decline in grammatical complexity and vocabulary range long before he was diagnosed with AD. Intriguingly, a computer analysis of the voluminous works of my favorite author Agatha Christie shows no such decline - until the last few of her works.

[Paul Vogelzang · Rating 5 out of 5]

As we age, what we read, how we read, the words, etc., all matter. This book is an excellent way to understand the 'why' along with great tips to make it all work for you.

[Karin L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating book - brought up many points that aren’t commonly thought about with language studies. The authors provide an in-depth analysis in each chapter and discuss why or why not studies should be considered successful. I learned quite a bit and found myself in deep thought throughout.

[Lara · Rating 2 out of 5]

1/3 of the book is an accumulation of references and notes which shows that the information reliable but unoriginal, rendering the book a manuscript of facts laid out in front of you in a research-paper format.

I usually force myself to finish the books I begin reading but this was honestly a tough one. Though some of the information was slightly interesting, the audience of this book should mainly be seniors who are concerned for their mental health and possible cognitive decline.

Useful facts here and there, but you could just look up what you’re curious about online instead of rummaging through this 300 page book where you only get to read up to page 165, as the rest is, as I’ve mentioned above, bibliography.

[Isabel Fontes · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Changing Minds: How Aging Affects Language and How Language Affects Aging” by Roger Kreuz and Richard Roberts offers an insightful exploration of the relationship between ageing and language.

The researchers say specific cognitive processes like memory and perception may decline as we age. Still, on the bright side, our language abilities, such as vocabulary size and writing skills, can improve.

Engaging in language activities, such as immersing oneself in the world of fiction through deep, captivating narratives and enriching conversations, has significantly enhanced one's overall well-being and vitality. Additionally, the text delves into the distinct qualities of older adults as masterful storytellers, shedding light on their unique ability to weave intricate tales and how their tendency to diverge from the main topic can serve meaningful communicative functions.

The book highlights how engaging in language activities like reading fiction and conversing can contribute to a fuller and healthier life. It also discusses how older adults might be better storytellers and how their tendency to go off-topic can serve communicative purposes.

Moreover, the authors confidently discuss how older adults might excel as storytellers and how their tendency to go off-topic can effectively serve communicative purposes.

I was expecting more from the writers' research, but reading and rereading some things I was aware of is suitable for refreshing my memory.

[Mati 'Matimajczyta' · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would anyone think that the language we speak could influence who we are? This idea had been growing in my mind for some time, as I noticed I behave differently when speaking in a second language. Somehow, I find a sense of ease, simplicity, and confidence in another language.
The book opens up a unique perspective, showing how language not only shapes our thoughts but also affects our relationships and self-perception over time. This idea impacted me so much that I started considering learning yet another language to discover new facets of myself or add qualities associated with that language to my life. It’s an inspiring and thought-provoking read that sheds new light on the role of language in our lives.

[Phil Parkman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a review of current research on aging and language. As befits a scholarly book, it shies from any conclusion that can't be experimentally verifed, and, as a result, is somewhat tepid. What I take away matches common sense but is not earth-shattering: read more, write more, talk more, listen more and think more and you will not only keep your mental acuity longer, you will actually live longer. Seems like a plan.

[Marilyn]

PLS only has an audio version; find it used;

[Clivemichael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite interesting review of numerous studies. Deserves wider exposure.

[César Zapata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Muy buen libro de divulgación.
Me quedó tanto en la cabeza que ahora casi que me estoy basando en esto para mi tesis.
Aprecio mucho que el autor no haya alargado el libro más de lo necesario, todo muy conciso.