This book is directed at scholars and advanced students interested in understanding memory and cognitive functioning in later life. It reviews theoretical and methodological issues related to this important topic, and presents analyses of data from the Victoria Longitudinal Study.

Do memory abilities decline with aging? Are changes in memory universal or differential? Do they occur similarly or differently for all types of memory and to all aging persons? These are some of the principal questions explored in the Victoria Longitudinal Study and presented in this volume. Although there is a tremendous amount of research comparing the memory performance of younger and older adults, very few studies have followed the same older adults over time. Only through the use of such longitudinal methods can one directly observe changes in memory functioning with aging. This monograph reports longitudinal data following the same individuals over a six-year period. The authors consider a variety of theoretical and methodological issues related to memory and aging.