Adult age differences in reflection-impulsivity.

Adult age differences in reflection-impulsivity were examined on a modified version of Kagan's adult Matching Familiar Figures Test (MFF). The sample consisted of 20 elderly adults (mean age = 70.6) and 20 young adults (mean age = 21.9), each of whom was administered the modified MFF by an adult examiner. On half of the 24 items, the original (i.e., the standard) was present among the four alternatives ("original present" condition), while on the other half, all the alternatives were variants of the standard ("original not present" condition). The elderly subjects were generally more impulsive (had shorter latencies and committed more errors) than were the young adults. The results, though, varied somewhat with the two stimulus conditions employed. An analysis of the mean scores of both age groups indicated that the elderly took less time to respond only in the "original present" condition. A higher number of errors was observed for the older group in both conditions, and both age groups had fewer errors in the "original present" condition. Possible interpretations of these findings, in terms of age group differences in search strategy, anxiety, and other aspects of decision style are offered, and implications for further research are provided.