Aging and the Decline of Affect

The process of aging is a process of declin-ing capacities, a decline which for some func-tions may begin very early in life. Visual, auditory, and tactual acuity, for example, show a gradual decrease from the twenties until the late sixties, followed by a precipitous drop in the next two decades (Miles, 1933). Similarly, physical strength (Dennis, 1952), speed of re-action (Birren, 1956; Miles, 1931), motor dex-terity (Barker, 1934), and certain manual skills (Welford, 1951) reach a peak in the late twenties and early thirties, declining progres-sively thereafter. In addition, certain kinds of intellectual capacities seem to diminish with age. The ability to learn complex material seems to deteriorate (Ruch, 1933, 1934; Holl-ingworth, 1930; Thorndike, 1928), and defec-tive memory frequently accompanies extreme old age (Shakow, Dolkert, Goldman, 1941;