It has been hypothesized that reductions in cognitive resources might result in older adults engaging in less systematic processing than younger adults when making everyday judgments.In two experiments, we tested individuals aged from 24 to 89 years to examine the degree to which task-related information associated with more superficial versus complex processing differentially influenced performance. We also examined the hypothesis that motivational factors would moderate age differences in processing complexity. In both studies, there were no age differences in the use of simple versus complex processing. Increasing age was, however, associated with increasing selectivity in cognitive resource engagement. KeywordsAging; judgment; motivation; systematic processing; social cognition Adaptive functioning in everyday life is in part related to one's ability to effectively evaluate important information in a variety of situations. It can reasonably be argued that quality of life and the ability to maintain independent functioning are affected by the quality of judgments and decisions that result from such evaluations (Mather, 2006;Peters, Hess, Västfjäll, & Auman, 2007). An important question concerns whether the effectiveness of such processes is negatively affected by aging and associated declines in basic cognitive skills. In research on judgment and decision-making (JDM) processes in younger adults, limitations placed on cognitive resources have been shown to result in relatively simplistic processing that relies heavily on assimilative or schema-based processes (e.g., Macrae, Hewstone, & Griffiths, 1993;Srull, 1981;Webster, Richter, & Kruglanski, 1996). Given normative declines in working memory and executive functions (Braver & West, 2008), aging might have a similar effect on the nature of processing, with older adults engaging in less complex and analytic processing than younger adults under normal conditions.To examine this possibility, we conducted two experiments in which different agedindividuals made judgments based on scenarios containing both relatively superficial, easily processed information and more complex, resource-demanding information. Of interest was Address correspondence to Thomas M. Hess, Department of Psychology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-7650. thomas_hess@ncsu.edu, Telephone: (919) 515-1729, Fax: (919) 515-1716. Thanks to Tara Licciardello, Sara Burns, Aleksandra Dominska, Eric Feng, Lauren Gibbs, Michelle Ribar, Alexis Sutton, and Chelsea White, for their assistance in conducting this research, and to Lisa Emery for her comments on an earlier version of this paper. Thanks also to Shevaun Neupert for advice regarding data analysis.The following manuscript is the final accepted manuscript. It has not been subjected to the final copyediting, fact-checking, and proofreading required for formal publication. It is not the definitive, publisher-authenticated version. The American Psychological Association and its Council of Editors disclaim any responsib...

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