Abstract
In this study of children's understanding of aging, five groups (5-, 6-, 7-, and 8-year olds, and college students) predicted how 6 traits (running speed, resistance to colds, physical force, function of heart , bone strength and memory) change between the ages of 21 (young adulthood) and 80 (late adulthood). Participants answered either "It declines" or "It improves" for each trait. The results showed that: (1) children began to realize at about age five that physical functions decline with age, and at around age six they had the same level of understanding of these traits as college students; (2) while young children up to age 7 barely understood that memory declines with aging, from 8 years of age they began to show a clearer understanding; and (3) development in understanding of memory decline is related to awareness of the relationship between memory and body (or brain). Cognitive factors contributing to this understanding were discussed from the standpoint of development in naive biology and understanding of the mind-body relationship.
