Shorter planning depth and higher response noise during sequential decision-making in old age

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Decision Science
• Aging Research

Background:

• Forward planning is essential for optimizing outcomes in sequential decision-making.
• Age-related changes in cognitive functions may influence planning abilities.
• Older adults might reduce planning depth to manage decision-making costs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate age-related differences in forward planning depth.
• To test the hypothesis that older adults exhibit shorter planning depths.
• To explore the impact of cognitive covariates on age-related planning differences.

Main Methods:

• Developed a novel sequential decision-making task.
• Assessed forward planning in younger (<40 years) and older (>60 years) adults.
• Utilized reinforcement learning modeling to infer planning depths from choices.

Main Results:

• Older adults demonstrated significantly shorter planning depths compared to younger adults.
• Older adults exhibited higher response noise, indicating less consistent decision-making.
• Age-related planning depth differences were only partially explained by working memory and processing speed.

Conclusions:

• Findings indicate age-related shifts away from model-based decision-making in older adults.
• Older adults appear to employ heuristic, lower-cost strategies more frequently.
• Cognitive aging impacts forward planning, necessitating adaptive decision-making strategies.