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Simple and complex mental subtraction: strategy choice and speed-of-processing differences in younger and older
D C Geary1, P A Frensch, J G Wiley
1Department of Psychology, University of Missouri, Columbia 65211.
Psychology and Aging
|June 1, 1993
Summary
Older adults utilize more mature subtraction strategies and execute borrowing faster, despite slower number encoding. This may stem from extensive practice, suggesting cognitive aging benefits from experience.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience of Aging
- Human Factors and Ergonomics
Background:
- Investigating age-related differences in cognitive processes like mathematical problem-solving is crucial for understanding cognitive aging.
- Subtraction tasks, involving complex procedures, offer a valuable window into strategy use and processing speed variations across age groups.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the subtraction problem-solving strategies and performance between younger and older adults.
- To identify specific cognitive components (e.g., encoding, retrieval, procedure execution) that differ with age during subtraction.
Main Methods:
- Participants: 36 younger adults (18-38 years) and 36 older adults (61-80 years).
- Tasks: Simple and complex subtraction problems administered via paper-and-pencil and computer.
- Data Collection: Strategy use and solution times recorded for computer-based tasks.
Main Results:
- Older adults employed more developmentally advanced problem-solving strategies for both simple and complex subtractions.
- Older adults were slower in number encoding and production but faster in executing the borrow procedure.
- No significant age differences were found in the speed of subtraction fact retrieval.
Conclusions:
- Older adults' strategic advantages in subtraction may be attributed to extensive practice and experience.
- Cognitive aging can involve both declines (e.g., processing speed) and relative strengths (e.g., strategic processing) in specific tasks.