Citation

Johnson MM. J. Gerontol. 1990; 45(2): P75-8.

Affiliation

Department of Behavioral Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington 40536-0086.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1990, Gerontological Society of America)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

2179392

Abstract

This study explored the use of process tracing techniques in examining the decision-making processes of older and younger adults. Thirty-six college-age and thirty-six retirement-age participants decided which one of six cars they would purchase on the basis of computer-accessed data. They provided information search protocols. Results indicate that total time to reach a decision did not differ according to age. However, retirement-age participants used less information, spent more time viewing, and re-viewed fewer bits of information than college-age participants. Information search patterns differed markedly between age groups. Patterns of retirement-age adults indicated their use of noncompensatory decision rules which, according to decision-making literature (Payne, 1976), reduce cognitive processing demands. The patterns of the college-age adults indicated their use of compensatory decision rules, which have higher processing demands.

Language: en