Resource-rational approach to meta-control problems across the lifespan

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Cognitive Science
• Developmental Psychology
• Aging Research

Background:

• Cognitive control and decision-making research shows individuals evaluate costs and benefits.
• These cost-benefit analyses can vary with development and aging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine how lifespan age differences in cognitive abilities influence the meta-control of behavioral strategies.
• To investigate the role of motivation in these cognitive trade-offs across the lifespan.

Main Methods:

• Review and synthesis of accumulated evidence on cognitive control, decision-making, and aging.
• Theoretical examination of age-related differences in cost-benefit analyses.

Main Results:

• Existing models may not fully explain age differences in cost-benefit trade-offs.
• Proposes two new hypotheses to better account for observed results.

Conclusions:

• Age differences in cost-benefit trade-offs are proposed as a resource-rational adaptation.
• These adaptations reflect responses to internal and external constraints across the lifespan.