A comparison of collaborative and individual everyday problem solving in younger and older adults

To understand the conditions under which age differences in everyday problem-solving performance occur, this study investigated individual and collaborative problem solving. Younger (24 females, 24 males; M age = 19.98, SD = 1.43) and older adults (25 females, 24 males; M age = 71.14, SD = 6.65) worked either alone or with a same-sex friend to plan a cross-country trip to attend a wedding. Age differences favoring younger adults were found on three of eight performance measures: two component completion accuracy variables (i.e., city completion, Mt. Rushmore completion) and a composite variable that assessed overall performance. Younger adults also completed the task faster than did older adults. Collaborators out-performed individuals on the composite measure of overall performance and frequency of planning errors. Females committed more planning errors than males did. Younger and older adults' performances were predicted by different variables; however, basic abilities were not consistently significant predictors of performance for either younger or older adults. The results of the study suggest that task characteristics may differentially influence older and younger adults' collaborative performance.