Determinants of anagram problem solution in adulthood

Abstract

An evaluation of the indices proposed in the literature regarding measures of anagram difficulty was made by asking three groups (ages 17–26, 39–51, 59–76) of adults (n = 54) to solve a list of 30 anagrams. Results indicated that only two of these indices (Thorndike-Lorge and Bigram Rank measures) significantly predicted frequency of solution in samples beyond college age. It was also found that the cognitive variable mediating the effects of these indices in middle aged and elderly subjects was crystallized ability, suggesting an experiential basis for the effects of both task and organismic variables as determinants of anagram problem solving in adulthood. The role of fluid ability as a mediator of problem solution in the young received limited support.