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...
In this study, we examined the relationship between within-person blood pressure and cognitive functioning. We conducted an analysis on 36 community-dwelling elderly individuals (age range = 60-87 years). Participants measured their blood pressure and completed cognitive tasks (i.e., the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Task, the Letter Series test, and the Number Comparison test) twice a day over 60 consecutive days. We observed a significant interaction between within-person change in blood pressure and average blood pressure for the Letter Series test. Individuals with high blood pressure tended to perform poorly, particularly on occasions when their blood pressure level was above their personal average. These results demonstrate that the relationship between blood pressure and cognition at the between-person level and the relationship within each individual should be further explored simultaneously.
In this article, the authors examine the relationship between everyday cognition and mortality. Data were initially collected in 1996-1997 from 171 community-dwelling older people ranging in age from 60 to 92 years old (M = 74 years, SD = 7.38). Participants completed the Everyday Cognition Battery (ECB; J. C. Allaire & M. Marsiske, 1999, 2002) as well as basic cognitive ability tests. Results indicated that participants who died since testing (n = 56) had performed significantly worse than did still-living participants on all measures. Additionally, performance on the ECB Knowledge Test was a significant predictor of death even after controlling for basic cognitive abilities, demographics, and self-rated health.
This study examined the within-person relationship between reading vision and cognitive functioning. Analysis was conducted on 36 community-dwelling elderly (age range = 60-87) who completed a reading vision task and three cognitive tests (i.e., Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Task (AVLT), Letter Series, and Number Comparison) twice a day over 60 consecutive days. Significant within-person variability was found for the reading vision measure. Additionally, a main effect was found for reading vision and performance on the AVLT and Number Comparison task; such that on occasions when reading vision was poor, cognitive performance suffered.
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