What Factors are Associated with Age Differences In Intentional Decision Avoidance?
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: To examine why older adults avoid choices more, two pre-registered, U.S.-based studies (N1 = 164, Mage_1 = 50.71, N2 = 485, Mage_2 = 51.08) evaluated the roles of cognitive load and affect. In Study 2, half were randomized to a writing condition theorized to decrease avoidance. Across studies, older age was positively associated with avoiding choices and improved affect after doing so. Avoidance was linked to perceiving higher cognitive loads but neither load nor other covariates accounted for older adults’ avoidance tendencies. The writing condition resulted in lower cognitive loads and more positive decision-related affect but did not decrease avoidance.
Source: Experimental Aging Research
Authors: Julia Nolte, Corinna E. Löckenhoff
Institutions: Tilburg University, Cornell University, Weill Cornell Medicine
Language: English
Subfield: General Decision Sciences
Field: Decision Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Funder: Cornell University
OpenAlex ID: W4408299800