West Virginia University -
Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
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In 2050, the total number of
Americans aged 65 and older will be 88 million, double the number estimated for
2010.
As an economic and political
force, researchers say that older adults hold a tremendous amount of social
power. A new West Virginia University study is examining what factors
contribute to older adults' decisions.
"Most of the research that
has been done has utilized younger adults as participants," said Natalie
Shook, principal investigator on the project and assistant professor in the WVU
Department of Psychology. "We've got a lot of information regarding the
psychological decision-making processes that guide younger adults' behavior.
But very little work has explored older adults."
The study is supported by a
three-year, $458,547 National Science Foundation grant. JoNell Strough, also a
professor in the Department of Psychology, serves as co-principal investigator.
WVU researchers use an activity
that explores attitude formation called "Bean Fest." The game
uncovers how people process positive and negative information by presenting
them with novel stimuli, referred to as beans. Points are rewarded for
identifying good and bad beans correctly.
Research has shown that decision-making
changes by age. Many have attributed this to causes such as declines in
cognitive processing and health associated with age. But not all decisions get
worse with age. Some get better.
Understanding how people
perceive positive and negative information may provide a window into
age-related differences in decision-making. Young adults typically focus on the
negative rather than the positive, using it diagnostically to inform their
decisions.
This negativity bias doesn't
necessarily generalize, Shook said. Data indicate that as we age, we start to
shift to have a positivity bias, and this could affect decisions.
"There is unprecedented
growth in the population that's going to be 65 and older," Strough said.
"People that age tend to control a lot of the assets in the U.S. -- a lot
of the finances and wealth are held by older people. The types of decisions
they make with their money, about their health, are going to have implications
on society as a whole."
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The above story is based on
materials provided by West Virginia University - Eberly College of Arts and
Sciences. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.