ERIC Number: EJ956126
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0091-4150
EISSN: N/A
Age Differences in Attention toward Decision-Relevant Information: Education Matters
Xing, Cai; Isaacowitz, Derek
International Journal of Aging and Human Development, v73 n4 p299-312 2011
Previous studies suggested that older adults are more likely to engage in heuristic decision-making than young adults. This study used eye tracking technique to examine young adults' and highly educated older adults' attention toward two types of decision-relevant information: heuristic cue vs. factual cues. Surprisingly, highly educated older adults showed the reversed age pattern--they looked more toward factual cues than did young adults. This age difference disappeared after controlling for educational level. Additionally, education correlated with attentional pattern to decision-relevant information. We interpret this finding as an indication of the power of education: education may modify what are thought to be "typical" age differences in decision-making, and education may influence young and older people's decision-making via different paths. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)
Descriptors: Decision Making, Eye Movements, Cues, Heuristics, Young Adults, Older Adults, Age Differences, Role of Education, Educational Attainment
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Adult Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A