Cognitive Control and Decision Making among Adults: The Role of Aging

Abstract

The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the direct and indirect relationship between aging, cognitive control and decision making, and to assess whether age moderates the relationship between cognitive control and decision making styles. To conduct the study, a sample of 195 adults, ranging in age from 30-59 years, were selected from different institutions and organizations of the Lahore city. It was hypothesized that there would be significant relationships between age, cognitive control, and decision-making styles. It was also hypothesized that there would be significant relationship between age and decision-making styles in adults. Additionally, it was hypothesized that cognitive control would mediate the association between age and decision-making styles. Moreover, it was also hypothesized that age would moderate the relationship between cognitive control and decision-making styles. The convenient sampling technique was used to approach the participants. DKEFS Color Word Interference test, and Design Fluency Test (Delis, Kaplan, & Krammer, 2001), General Decision Making Style Inventory (Scott,& Bruce, 1995) were used to assess the level of cognitive control, and the styles of decision making respectively. Pearson product movement correlation and moderated mediation analyses were used to test study hypotheses. The Results showed that age and cognitive control were positively correlated with rational and spontaneous decision-makingstyles, while negatively correlated with dependent and avoidant decision-making styles. Findings from mediation analyses indicated that cognitive control as assessed from CWIT measure mediated the relationship between age and dependent, avoidant, and spontaneousdecision-making styles, while cognitive control as assessed from DFT mediated the link of age with dependent and avoidant decision making styles. Finally, moderation analyses indicated that cognitive control was more strongly correlated with dependent, avoidant, and spontaneous decision making styles among older adults as compared to middle adults. Limitations, implications, and future directions of the current study were discussed.