Classification Abilities in the Elderly

Abstract

214 individuals between the ages of 35 and 95 were given a free classification task in which they were asked to group the geometric stimuli that were “alike or the same” together. There was a significant increase with increasing age in the number of no similarity groupings, although the majority of subjects at all ages grouped according to similarity; 24 of the subjects who did not group according to complete similarity on the pretest were divided into two experimental conditions—a modeling condition in which the subjects observed a model group according to complete similarity and a control condition. After the training session the subjects were given two post-tests—one with stimuli identical to those employed on the pretest and one with a different set of geometric stimuli. On the first post-test significantly more complete similarity classifications were obtained in the modeling condition than in the control condition. There was not a significant difference between the modeling and the control subjects on the second post-test.

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