Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 16, 2026

Lexical Decision Task for Studying Written Word Recognition in Adults with and without Dementia or Mild Cognitive Impairment
Published on: June 25, 2019
A structural factor analysis of vocabulary knowledge and relations to age
Ryan P Bowles1, Kevin J Grimm, John J McArdle
1Department of Psychology, University of Virginia, PO Box 400400, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4400, USA. rpbowles@virginia.edu
Abstract:
Vocabulary knowledge may not be a unidimensional construct, and the relations between vocabulary knowledge and age may depend on the aspect of vocabulary knowledge being assessed. In this study, we examined the factor structure of a vocabulary test given to a large nationally representative sample of individuals (N approximately 20,500). Results indicated that the vocabulary test is not unidimensional but bidimensional, with Basic Vocabulary and Advanced Vocabulary factors. An analysis of age differences indicates that basic vocabulary is highest around the age of 30, with a negative relation to age in late adulthood; in contrast, advanced vocabulary is unrelated to age between ages 35 and 70. Cohort effects may explain some of the differential age trend.
More Related Videos
09:01A Method for Investigating Age-related Differences in the Functional Connectivity of Cognitive Control Networks Associated with Dimensional Change Card Sort Performance
Published on: May 7, 2014
15:00A Tablet-Based Curriculum-Based Measurement Protocol for Kindergarten Writing
Published on: February 7, 2025
Related Concept Videos
Language Development
The critical period for language acquisition suggests that the ability to acquire language is at its peak early in life. As people age, this proficiency decreases. Language development begins very...
Language and Cognition
The Nativist Approach
Vygotsky's Cognitive Development in Cultural Context
Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development from Childhood into Adulthood
Schemata: Building Blocks of Knowledge
Schemata...
Cognitive Development During Adulthood