The Aging Mind at Work: A Framework for Age-Differentiated Cognitive Processing

Abstract

As global populations age, workplaces are increasingly shaped by older adults whose cognitive profiles differ in systematic ways from their younger counterparts. This paper reviews age-related changes in cognition through both deficit-based and adaptation-focused lenses, examining how shifts in memory, attention, inhibitory control, and fluid versus crystallized intelligence affect workplace-relevant domains such as social cognition, creativity, and decision-making. To integrate these findings, it introduces the Age-Differentiated Processing Model, a stage-based framework outlining how older and younger adults differ in how they access, delete, integrate, retrieve, and act on information. The model emphasizes differences in how cognitive resources are allocated and applied across processing stages, shaped by contextual demands and motivational priorities. A real-world workplace scenario illustrates how these differences unfold in practice. Directions for future research, including the need for more ecologically valid and lifespan-inclusive studies, are discussed in the final section.