Differences on six Horn abilities for 14 age groups between 15–16 and 75–94 years.

Six abilities derived from Horn's fluid (Gf) and crystallized (Gc) theory were investigated for 1,193 individuals (607 men and 586 women), aged 15-94 years and approximately representative of the U.S. population on ethnic, socioeconomic, and geographic variables. Age differences on the Horn abilities were analyzed for separate age groups across this wide age span, both with and without control for education, using multivariate analysis of variance and multiple regression analysis. Results supported Horn's classification of crystallized and quantitative as maintained abilities and of fluid and broad visualization as vulnerable abilities. Short-term acquisition and retrieval, usually interpreted as vulnerable, was maintained through the 60s for the present sample. The patterns of age differences on long-term retrieval tasks were a function of the type of material to be stored. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)