Age differences in concept formation

In order to identify the source of age-related deficits in concept formation, older and younger adults completed a new Concept Matching Test, tests of selective attention, and the Sorting Test, a standardized test of concept formation (Delis, Kaplan, & Kramer, 2001). Older adults showed intact concept identification, the ability to generate abstract concepts from stimulus features, but age differences were observed when irrelevant features were present. In addition, selective attention, but not concept identification ability, predicted age-related declines on the Sorting Test. Thus, reduced concept formation in older adults may stem from declines in abilities other than the capacity for abstraction.