Age Differences in Decision Making
Author Information
Author(s): Nolte Julia, Löckenhoff Corinna
Primary Institution: Tilburg University, Tilburg, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands; Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States
Hypothesis
Decision avoidance increases with age due to subjective evaluations of choice options.
Conclusion
Older adults tend to avoid decisions more than younger adults, focusing more on negative aspects of choices.
Supporting Evidence
- Decision avoidance was positively associated with age.
- Older adults focused more on negative attributes of choices.
- Negative remarks about choices dominated over positive ones.
- Older decision makers reported poorer mental well-being.
Takeaway
As people get older, they often find it harder to make decisions because they worry more about the bad things that could happen.
Methodology
A mixed-methods study where participants evaluated health and consumer decision scenarios and provided open-ended responses about their choices.
Limitations
The study did not find significant results regarding certain choice attributes.
Participant Demographics
Adults aged 18-88 years, with a mean age of 50.71 years and 55% women.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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