Approximate quantification in young, healthy older adults', and Alzheimer patients.
Forty young adults, 40 healthy older adults, and 39 probable AD patients were asked to estimate small (e.g., 25) and large (e.g., 60) collections of dots in a choice condition and in two no-choice conditions. Participants could choose between benchmark and anchoring strategies on each collection of dots in the choice condition and were required to use either benchmark or anchoring on all configurations in the no-choice conditions (one per strategy). The benchmark strategy involves visual estimation processes whereas the anchoring strategy involves both enumeration and estimation processes. Results showed that strategy use was influenced by collection, participant, and strategy characteristics. Age-related and dementia-related differences were found in both strategy use and strategy execution. The findings have implications for our understanding of aging effects in approximate quantification, strategic variations in Alzheimer's patients, and sources of cognitive decline during early stages of Alzheimer's disease.
Gandini
Delphine
D
Laboratoire de Psychologie Cognitive, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and Université de Provence, 3 Place Victor Hugo, Bâtiment 9, Case D, Marseille 13331, France.
Lemaire
Patrick
P
Michel
Bernard François
BF
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000523:psychology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D055641:Mathematical Concepts; D008875:Middle Aged; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D014796:Visual Perception; D055815:Young Adult