Final answer:
Social cognition in adulthood pertains to stable or improving social understanding, supported by crystallized intelligence and socioemotional selectivity theory. These factors contribute to well-maintained social cognitive skills in later life.
Step-by-step explanation:
Social cognition refers to the processes involved in understanding and navigating the social world, which includes perceiving, interpreting, and generating responses to the intentions, behaviors, and emotions of others. In adulthood, social cognition skills are largely retained and sometimes even sharpened. One reason why these skills hold up well is because of crystallized intelligence, which encompasses the knowledge and experience adults have gained over time. As adults grow older, they become experts in social understanding through years of interacting with a diverse range of individuals and situations.
Another reason for the maintenance of social cognitive skills in later life is the socioemotional selectivity theory, which suggests that as people age, they prioritize emotionally meaningful goals and relationships. This selective focus on important social connections allows older adults to maintain, and sometimes enhance, their social cognition due to frequent use and practice of these skills in emotionally charged and relevant contexts.