Task Complexity, Problem Representation, and Problem-solving Performance by Younger and Older Adults

Abstract

To test the hypothesis that increased task difficulty elicits more efficient problem-solving strategies from older adults, younger and older persons were given twenty questions tasks with either 64 or 10,000 possible solutions and with the possible solutions either physically present or not. Although younger adults were more efficient than older adults, there was no evidence that task difficulty affected problem solving for either age group.