Information processing and age differences in social decision-making.

A task analysis indicated that equality, group enhancement, and superiority social decisions require a greater information processing load (i.e., are relatively complex) than altruism, rivalry, and individualism social decisions. Four experiments were conducted to validate the task analysis and to examine the influence of a social decision-making task modification designed to reduce the information processing demands of the equality and superiority social decisions. The results indicate the following: (1) 39 undergraduates took longer to identify the complex than the simple social outcomes. (2) The undergraduates and 57 36–93 mo olds made more errors identifying the complex than the simple social outcomes, and the 36–93 mo olds who made complex social decisions made fewer outcome identification errors, particularly for the complex social outcomes, than those who made simple social decisions. (3) A modification of the social outcome identification task produced a reduction in the outcome identification error rates among 24 48–93 mo olds, particularly for the complex social outcomes. (4) A modification of the social decision-making task eliminated the age differences in social decision-making across a 36–70 mo old age range in 55 Ss. A cognitive social learning interpretation is discussed. (31 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Information processing and the development of cooperative, competitive, and individualistic social values.

109 3–10 yr old Ss completed an individualized regression assessment of social values, a central-incidental memory measure, and a free-recall word list task in a study that assessed the possibility that the developmental difference in social values is associated with the development of information-processing capabilities. Findings demonstrate developmental differences in social values and suggest a possible partial explanation for the differences. The modal social value among 3–5 yr olds was individualism, while among 6–7 yr olds and 8–20 yr olds the modal social value was superiority. The oldest Ss expressed a social value involving equality more frequently than did younger Ss. It is suggested that older children, compared to younger children, more often consider the relative nature of their outcomes and more often engage in social comparison. Performance on the memory tasks was consistently associated with age: Ss who expressed an individualism social value generally performed more poorly on the memory measures than did Ss who expressed any other social value. (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)