Age-Related Differences in Arithmetic Problem-Verification Strategies

Abstract

To test age-related differences in split and problem-difficulty effects, adults between the ages of 20 and 80 years (N = 138) performed a simple and a complex inequality verification task (e.g., 6 + 3 < 11, 271 + 182 < 458; true or false?). Split effects in verification tasks (i.e., better performance for large-split than for small-split problems) reflect strategy selection between nonexhaustive verification (e.g., evaluation of plausibility; estimation) and exhaustive verification (e.g., retrieval; calculation). Problem-difficulty effects (i.e., better performance for easy than hard problems) reflect calculation processing. Results showed decreased split effects across age groups, particularly in the complex task. Moreover, problem-difficulty effects did not vary across age groups. Age-related changes were mostly mediated by age-related declines in processing speed.

Adaptive Strategic Variations in Human Cognition Across the Life Span

“…Indeed, older adults tend to favor the less demanding strategies, even if they are not the best (e.g., Duverne et al, 2003Duverne et al, , 2007Duverne & Lemaire, 2004Gandini et al, 2009;Green et al, 2007;Hodzik & Lemaire, 2011;Lemaire et al, 2004;Fein et al, 2007;Mata et al, 2007Mata & Nunes, 2010). As an example, in estimation calculation tasks, participants can estimate products of two-digit multiplication problems with several strategies.…”

Employees with Aided Hearing Impairment : An Interdisciplinary Perspective

“…The arithmetic task, in which participants were asked to solve addition problems, was a modified version of a task used by Duverne and Lemaire (2004). On each trial, one number and two to-be-added numbers (e.g.…”

Do working-memory executive components mediate the effects of age on strategy selection or on strategy execution? Insights from arithmetic problem solving

“…For instance, older adults veriWed large-split problems like 6+7 < 19 almost as slowly as small-split problems like 6+7 < 15, suggesting that they used the same type of strategy on both problems (Duverne & Lemaire, 2004). Split eVects even disappear in older adults on complex additions that require coordination of partial results like 187+296 < 421 versus 187+296 < 471 (Duverne & Lemaire, 2004). In other words, older adults do not use estimation and calculation strategies, respectively, on large-and small-split problems as systematically as young adults, but they mainly use one type of strategy across the whole set of problems, particularly on complex arithmetic tasks that require coordination of partial results.…”

“…For instance, older adults veriWed large-split problems like 6+7 < 19 almost as slowly as small-split problems like 6+7 < 15, suggesting that they used the same type of strategy on both problems (Duverne & Lemaire, 2004). Split eVects even disappear in older adults on complex additions that require coordination of partial results like 187+296 < 421 versus 187+296 < 471 (Duverne & Lemaire, 2004).…”

“…Strategy selection becomes less eYcient with age in adults, as revealed by the interaction of the split eVects with age: Split eVects decrease in magnitude across age groups on diVerent types of arithmetic tasks like comparison and veriWcation of additions and split eVects decrease with age even more in complex arithmetic tasks (Duverne & Lemaire, 2004;El Yagoubi et al, 2003, 2005. For instance, older adults veriWed large-split problems like 6+7 < 19 almost as slowly as small-split problems like 6+7 < 15, suggesting that they used the same type of strategy on both problems (Duverne & Lemaire, 2004).…”