Perceived self-efficacy and everyday problem solving among young and older adults.

Full Abstract

This research tested the hypothesis that age differences in both self-efficacy perceptions and problem-solving performance would vary as a function of the ecological relevance of problems to young and older adults. The authors developed novel everyday problem-solving stimuli that were ecologically representative of problems commonly confronted by young adults (young-adult problems), older adults (older adult problems), or both (common problems). Performance on an abstract problem solving task lacking in ecological representativeness (the Tower of Hanoi problem) also was examined. Although young persons had higher self-efficacy beliefs and performance levels on the Tower of Hanoi task problem and the young-adult problems, this pattern reversed in the domain of older adult problems, where the self-efficacy beliefs and performance of older persons exceeded those of the young.

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Author information

Author/s: Artistico, Daniele (D); Cervone, Daniel (D); Pezzuti, Lina (L);

Affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Rome La Sapienza, Italy. daniele.artistico(-atsign-)uniroma1.it

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Psychology and aging (Psychol Aging), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2003-Mar; vol 18 (issue 1) : pp 68-79

Dates: Created 2003/03/18; Completed 2003/06/06; Revised 2006/11/15;

PMID: 12641313, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Activities of Daily Living
Adult
Aged
Aging - psychology
Environment
Female

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