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Compensatory help-seeking in young and older adults: does seeking help, help?
Nicole Alea1, Walter R Cunningham
1Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida 32611-5911, USA. nalea@ufl.edu
Experimental Aging Research
|September 10, 2003
Summary
Older adults did not seek more help despite lower performance on reasoning tasks. Younger adults sought more help, with both age groups preferring indirect assistance, suggesting ability, not age, influences help-seeking utility.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Human Development
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Help-seeking is a compensatory behavior that can enhance functioning across the lifespan.
- Understanding age-related differences in help-seeking is crucial for supporting older adults.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age differences in help-seeking behavior during problem-solving.
- To examine whether older adults use help-seeking to compensate for performance deficits.
Main Methods:
- Seventy-two older and younger adults solved reasoning problems under conditions with or without permission to seek help.
- Help-seeking frequency and type (direct vs. indirect) were recorded.
Main Results:
- Older adults performed fewer problems correctly but did not increase their help-seeking.
- Younger adults sought more help than older adults.
- Both age groups preferred indirect help (hints) over direct help (answers).
Conclusions:
- Age is not the primary determinant of help-seeking utility; individual ability level appears more significant.
- Help-seeking as a compensatory strategy may be influenced by social and task-specific factors rather than age alone.