Simple verbal analogical reasoning and its predictors in old age

ABSTRACT

Analogical reasoning – the ability to find a relation between two objects is often recognized as a core of cognition. This article presents two studies focused on the effect of aging on analogical reasoning, and potential mechanisms that explain individual differences between the performances of elderly adults in analogy tasks. In Study 1, the authors examined age-related differences in reasoning based on simple verbal analogical relations, A:B:: C:D type. Elderly participants (N = 25, M_age = 73.12) obtained significantly lower results than younger adults (N = 25, M_age = 21.12). In Study 2, authors concentrated on individual differences between elderly people (N = 95, M_age = 71.39) in the same type of analogical reasoning. Regression analysis confirmed the role of processing speed and age, but not of inhibitory control, working memory and education, as predictors of analogical reasoning in old age. Results of both studies are discussed in relation to the conclusions drawn from current research in the field of analogical reasoning.

KEYWORDS:

• Analogical reasoning
• aging
• processing speed
• inhibitory control
• working memory

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. Mean years of education: for young adults M = 15.12, SD =1.59, and for elderly participants: M = 16.04, SD =1.90.

2. We decided to introduce additional measure of depressive syndrome only in the group of elderly people for two reasons:

3. Due to the violation of homogeneity of variance, we reported results calculated without equal variances assumption.

4. Due to the violation of homogeneity of variance, we reported results calculated without equal variances assumption.

5. Results of Mauchly’s test confirmed the assumption about sphericity was met.

6. For each participant the sum of years at each level of education (i.e. primary school, high school, bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or PhD) was calculated.

7. We chose the Simon Task as a measure of inhibitory control on the basis of the suggestions of some authors that results obtained by elderly people in this task are less susceptible to the influence of other variables. For example, Verhaeghen and De Meersman (1998) pointed out that classic tool, the Stroop Test, is more strongly affected by age-related slowing than decline in inhibitory control.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Polish National Science Centre under grant number [2011/03/N/HS6/02241].