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Age Effects in Sequence-Construction for a Continuous Cognitive Task: Similar Sequence-Trends but Fewer Switch-Points

Author

Listed:
  • Corinna E Löckenhoff
  • Joshua L Rutt
  • Gregory R Samanez-Larkin
  • Casey Gallagher
  • Ted O’Donoghue
  • Valerie F Reyna
  • Nicole Anderson

Abstract

ObjectivesMany real-life settings require decision makers to sort a predetermined set of outcomes or activities into a preferred sequence and people vary in whether they prefer to tackle the most challenging aspects first, leave them for the last, or intersperse them with less challenging outcomes. Prior research on age differences in sequence-preferences has focused on discrete and hypothetical events. The present study expands this work by examining sequence-preferences for a realistic, continuous, sustained, and cognitively challenging task.MethodsParticipants (N = 121, aged 21–86) were asked to complete 10 min of a difficult cognitive task (2-back), 10 min of an easy cognitive task (1-back), and 10 min of rest over the course of a 30-min interval. They could complete the tasks in any order and switch tasks as often as they wished and they were rewarded for correct performance. Additional measures included affective and physiological responses, task accuracy, time-perspective, and demographics.ResultsThe majority of participants constructed sequences with decreasing task difficulty. Preferences for the general trend of the sequence were not significantly related to age, but the number of switches among the tasks decreased with age, and task-switching tended to incur greater accuracy decrements among older as compared to younger adults.DiscussionWe address potential methodological concerns, discuss theoretical implications, and consider potential real-life applications.

Suggested Citation

  • Corinna E Löckenhoff & Joshua L Rutt & Gregory R Samanez-Larkin & Casey Gallagher & Ted O’Donoghue & Valerie F Reyna & Nicole Anderson, 2020. "Age Effects in Sequence-Construction for a Continuous Cognitive Task: Similar Sequence-Trends but Fewer Switch-Points," The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, The Gerontological Society of America, vol. 75(4), pages 762-771.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:geronb:v:75:y:2020:i:4:p:762-771.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/geronb/gby090
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    Cited by:

    1. Ewa Jarosz, 2023. "Does ageing make life simpler? The dynamics, covariates, and implications of complexity of time-use patterns in late adulthood," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 57(5), pages 4153-4170, October.

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