The second half of the twentieth century witnessed the emergence of the scientific study of aging for many medical as well as social science disciplines. Psychological research on cognition, emotions, and psychopathology in later life gained momentum in the 1950s and 1960s, first through cross-sectional studies and eventually progressing to longitudinal and sequential research paradigms. In the 1970s and 1980s, practice and training in clinical geropsychology took root, with the application of the science of the psychology of aging to improving the lives of older adults, their families, and the communities wherein they reside.
