Older adults select different but not simpler strategies than younger adults in risky choice.
PLoS Comput Biol
; 20(6): e1012204, 2024 Jun.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38857295
ABSTRACT
Younger and older adults often differ in their risky choices. Theoretical frameworks on human aging point to various cognitive and motivational factors that might underlie these differences. Using a novel computational model based on the framework of resource rationality, we find that the two age groups rely on different strategies. Importantly, older adults did not use simpler strategies than younger adults, they did not select among fewer strategies, they did not make more errors, and they did not put more weight on cognitive costs. Instead, older adults selected strategies that had different risk propensities than those selected by younger adults. Our modeling approach suggests that age differences in risky choice are not necessarily a consequence of cognitive decline; instead, they may reflect motivational differences between age groups.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Risk-Taking
/
Aging
/
Choice Behavior
Limits:
Adult
/
Aged
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Language:
En
Journal:
PLoS Comput Biol
/
PloS comput. biol
/
PloS computational biology
Journal subject:
BIOLOGIA
/
INFORMATICA MEDICA
Year:
2024
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Alemania
Country of publication:
Estados Unidos