The Effects of Adult Ageing and Culture on the Tower of London Task

Planning ability is important in everyday functioning, and a key measure to assess the preparation and execution of plans is the Tower of London (ToL) task. Previous studies indicate that older adults are often less accurate than the young on the ToL and that there may be cultural differences in per...

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Main Authors: Louise H. Phillips, Louisa Lawrie, Alexandre Schaefer, Cher Yi Tan, Min Hooi Yong
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2021-02-01
Series:Frontiers in Psychology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.631458/full
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author Louise H. Phillips
Louisa Lawrie
Alexandre Schaefer
Cher Yi Tan
Min Hooi Yong
Min Hooi Yong
author_facet Louise H. Phillips
Louisa Lawrie
Alexandre Schaefer
Cher Yi Tan
Min Hooi Yong
Min Hooi Yong
author_sort Louise H. Phillips
collection DOAJ
description Planning ability is important in everyday functioning, and a key measure to assess the preparation and execution of plans is the Tower of London (ToL) task. Previous studies indicate that older adults are often less accurate than the young on the ToL and that there may be cultural differences in performance on the task. However, potential interactions between age and culture have not previously been explored. In the current study we examined the effects of age on ToL performance in an Asian culture (Malaysia) and a Western culture (British) (n = 191). We also explored whether working memory, age, education, and socioeconomic status explained variance in ToL performance across these two cultures. Results indicated that age effects on ToL performance were greater in the Malaysian sample. Subsequent moderated mediation analysis revealed differences between the two cultures (British vs Malaysians), in that the age-related variance in ToL accuracy was accounted for by WM capacity at low and medium education levels only in the Malaysian sample. Demographic variables could not explain additional variance in ToL speed or accuracy. These results may reflect cultural differences in the familiarity and cognitive load of carrying out complex planning tasks.
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spelling doaj.art-8c5fce8639ad4de58a53406178ed49fe2022-12-21T20:18:20ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782021-02-011210.3389/fpsyg.2021.631458631458The Effects of Adult Ageing and Culture on the Tower of London TaskLouise H. Phillips0Louisa Lawrie1Alexandre Schaefer2Cher Yi Tan3Min Hooi Yong4Min Hooi Yong5School of Psychology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United KingdomSchool of Psychology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United KingdomDepartment of Psychology, Monash University Malaysia, Sunway City, MalaysiaDepartment of Psychology, Sunway University, Sunway City, MalaysiaDepartment of Psychology, Sunway University, Sunway City, MalaysiaAging Health and Well-being Research Centre, Sunway University, Sunway City, MalaysiaPlanning ability is important in everyday functioning, and a key measure to assess the preparation and execution of plans is the Tower of London (ToL) task. Previous studies indicate that older adults are often less accurate than the young on the ToL and that there may be cultural differences in performance on the task. However, potential interactions between age and culture have not previously been explored. In the current study we examined the effects of age on ToL performance in an Asian culture (Malaysia) and a Western culture (British) (n = 191). We also explored whether working memory, age, education, and socioeconomic status explained variance in ToL performance across these two cultures. Results indicated that age effects on ToL performance were greater in the Malaysian sample. Subsequent moderated mediation analysis revealed differences between the two cultures (British vs Malaysians), in that the age-related variance in ToL accuracy was accounted for by WM capacity at low and medium education levels only in the Malaysian sample. Demographic variables could not explain additional variance in ToL speed or accuracy. These results may reflect cultural differences in the familiarity and cognitive load of carrying out complex planning tasks.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.631458/fullplanningageingcultureworking memoryWesternAsian
spellingShingle Louise H. Phillips
Louisa Lawrie
Alexandre Schaefer
Cher Yi Tan
Min Hooi Yong
Min Hooi Yong
The Effects of Adult Ageing and Culture on the Tower of London Task
Frontiers in Psychology
planning
ageing
culture
working memory
Western
Asian
title The Effects of Adult Ageing and Culture on the Tower of London Task
title_full The Effects of Adult Ageing and Culture on the Tower of London Task
title_fullStr The Effects of Adult Ageing and Culture on the Tower of London Task
title_full_unstemmed The Effects of Adult Ageing and Culture on the Tower of London Task
title_short The Effects of Adult Ageing and Culture on the Tower of London Task
title_sort effects of adult ageing and culture on the tower of london task
topic planning
ageing
culture
working memory
Western
Asian
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.631458/full
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