Aging and rule learning: the case of the multiplicative law.

Full Abstract

This work examined the effect of age on the ability to learn multiplicative combination rules. Participants learned the multiplicative relationship between daily tobacco intake, daily alcohol intake, and risk of esophageal cancer. The hypothesis was that younger adults would learn to implement a multiplicative combination rule and older adults would not, despite feedback. Among the younger adults, complete rule learning took place. Before receiving feedback, they used an underadditive rule, a result consistent with previous studies. After only a limited amount of feedback, they learned to use a multiplicative rule. Even after receiving feedback, however, the older adults still showed difficulties in using the multiplicative rule. These results strengthen the proposition by Chasseigne, Mullet, and Stewart (1997) that the differences between younger and older adults in function learning are related mainly to flexibility of functioning.

Author information

Author/s: Chasseigne, Gérard (G); Lafon, Peggy (P); Mullet, Etienne (E);

Affiliation: Université François-Rabelais, France. chasseigne(-atsign-)univ-tours.fr

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Comparative Study; Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: The American journal of psychology (Am J Psychol), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2002-; vol 115 (issue 3) : pp 315-30

Dates: Created 2002/09/11; Completed 2003/02/05; Revised 2006/11/15;

PMID: 12221912, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

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