[Cognitive performance and performance concepts of the elderly. A contribution to basic gerontologic research]

Three self-concepts of competence are investigated with a new instrument measuring different aspects of achievement in a total of 1983 subjects. Empirical data of 430 subjects aged 50 to 95 are presented pertaining to three self-concepts of competence and achievement in total and arranged into 4 chronological age groups. The new instrument employed for measuring self-concepts--FSKN--permits a priori the definition of marginal values for "positive" and "negative" concepts of achievement. Results of the cross-sectional study have failed to falsify the hypothesis (1): Elderly people (including those in retirement) have "positive" or "favourable" self-concepts of achievement--i.e. self-concepts characterized by socially desirable attributes. The three concepts of competence of elderly persons investigated (including individuals aged 80 to 95) show a favourability similar to those of 568 schoolchildren, 504 students and 481 persons aged 18 to 50. Correlation studies investigating the relationship of on the one hand elderly persons' cognitive capacity determined by nine different instruments and on the other hand the subjective self-concepts of competence and achievement failed to falsify the hypothesis (2): The higher the objectively measured degree of elderly persons' cognitive capacity, the more "favourable" or "positive" are also the subjective concepts of achievement. In the light of empirical data we may postulate an influence of the current objectively determined cognitive capacity of elderly persons on their subjective (positive) self-concepts of competence and achievement.