Age-related variance in decisions under ambiguity is explained by changes in reasoning, executive functions, and decision-making under risk

Johannes Schiebenera* & Matthias Brandaba Department of General Psychology: Cognition, University of Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg, Germanyb Erwin L. Hahn Institute for Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Essen, GermanyCONTACT Johannes Schiebener johannes.schiebener@uni-due.deSupplemental data for this article can be accessed at 10.1080/02699931.2016.1159944.ABSTRACTPrevious literature has explained older individuals’ disadvantageous decision-making under ambiguity in the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) by reduced emotional warning signals preceding decisions. We argue that age-related reductions in IGT performance may also be explained by reductions in certain cognitive abilities (reasoning, executive functions). In 210 participants (18–86 years), we found that the age-related variance on IGT performance occurred only in the last 60 trials. The effect was mediated by cognitive abilities and their relation with decision-making performance under risk with explicit rules (Game of Dice Task). Thus, reductions in cognitive functions in older age may be associated with both a reduced ability to gain explicit insight into the rules of the ambiguous decision situation and with failure to choose the less risky options consequently after the rules have been understood explicitly. Previous literature may have underestimated the relevance of cognitive functions for age-related decline in decision-making performance under ambiguity.