Abstract
In this study, we investigated age differences in the accuracy of covariation judgement. Young and older adults were asked to solve covariation problems under low or high memory demand conditions. For each problem, subjects saw a sequential presentation of the event-state combination in a 2 X 2 contingency table. Subjects either kept a running tally of the frequencies of occurrence of each combination and used these tallies to make their covariation judgement for the events (Low Memory Demand), or they recalled the frequencies from memory, and then made their judgement (High Memory Demand). Solution patterns across the problems indicated which of four judgement strategies (i.e., Cell A, A vs B, Sum of Diagonals, or Conditional Probability) the subject preferred. The results showed that older adults were generally less accurate than young adults in judging event covariation. Additional findings suggested that this difference might be due to an age-related decline in memory for the frequency of event combinations and to older adults' use of simpler, less accurate judgement strategies.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
