Decision-Making in Old Age: Cautiousness and Rigidity

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to test the findings of Botwinick's work on cautiousness and decision-making in old age [1, 2], along with an examination of two factors not previously studied: rigidity and certainty of decision outcome. Sixty-four elderly participants of both sexes participated in filling out the Choice Dilemmas Questionnaire (CDQ) after having been classified as high or low on Schaie's Test of Behavioral Rigidity [3]. In general, Botwinick's conclusions were supported: 1. when given the opportunity to avoid making decisions on the CDQ, the elderly did so, even under conditions of no risk at all concerning the outcome of the decision; 2. elderly individuals appeared to become more conservative and cautious in their decisions when the outcome was directed at the lives of young individuals than when older individual's lifestyles were of concern. This latter phenomenon, however, was not seen when the elderly participant was required to make a decision and could not elect to abstain. In addition, rigidity was found to be related to risky decisions made by the elderly individual.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Botwinick

Jr.

Cautiousness in Advanced Age, Journal of Gerontology, 21, pp. 347–353, 1966.

Botwinick

Jr. . Disinclination to Venture Response Versus Cautiousness in Responding: Age Differences, Journal of Genetic Psychology, 115, pp. 55–62, 1969.

Schaie

K. W.

, A Test of Behavioral Rigidity, Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 51, pp. 604–610, 1955.

Botwinick

, Aging and Behavior, Springer, New York, 1973.

Okun

M. A.

, Adult Age and Cautiousness in Decision: A Review of the Literature, Human Development, 19, pp. 220–233, 1976.

Wallach

and Kogan

, Aspects of Judgement and Decision-Making: Interrelationships and Changes with Age, Behavioral Science, 6, pp. 23–36, 1961.

Schaie

K. W.

, Test Manual: Test of Behavioral Rigidity, Consulting Psychologists Press, Palo Alto, 1960.

Winer

B. J.

, Statistical Principles in Experimental Design, McGraw-Hill Book Company, New York, 1962.

Tongberg

S. A.

, Risk Taking Judgments in Adulthood, Unpublished dissertation, Pennsylvania State University, 1970.

10.

Okun

M. A.

and Siegler

, Relation Between Preference for Intermediate Risk and Adult Age in Men: A Cross Cultural Validation, Developmental Psychology, 12, pp. 565–566, 1976.