title: Positive explorers: modeling dynamic control in normal aging.
abstract: Situations in which there are multiple changes occurring all at once and which demand complex decisions to be made are common throughout life, but little is known about how normal aging influences performance on these types of scenarios. To determine performance differences associated with normal aging, we test older and younger adults in a dynamic control task. The task involves the control of a single output variable over time via multiple and uncertain input controls. The Single Limited Input, Dynamic Exploratory Responses (SLIDER) computational model, is implemented to determine the behavioral characteristics associated with normal aging in a dynamic control task. Model-based analysis demonstrates a unique performance signature profile associated with normal aging. Specifically, older adults exhibit a positivity effect in which they are more influenced by positively valenced feedback, congruent with previous research, as well as enhanced exploratory behavior.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Computer Science , University College London, University of London , London , United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Brian D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Glass
authors.affiliation: b Biological and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences , Queen Mary University of London , London , United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Magda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Osman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D003198:Computer Simulation; D003657:Decision Making; D005106:Exploratory Behavior; D030141:Feedback, Psychological; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning; D008568:Memory; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Dynamic decision making; computational modeling; learning; normal aging