Dimensions of Thought as a Function of Age, Gender and Task Difficulty

Abstract

Forty-two younger adult college students (ages 17–28) and forty-two older adult college alumni and their spouses (ages 60–82) participated in a two-session study. During the questionnaire session, subjects completed background information, self-ratings of health and activity, and questionnaires related to daydreaming activity and current concerns in the natural environment. During the experimental session, subjects participated in four ten-minute thought-sampling periods consisting of two puzzle and two relaxation periods. The mean number of current concerns reported on questionnaires was higher among younger than older adults. Moreover, younger adults reported engaging in more daydreaming as well as having more visual imagery in those daydreams than older adults. The mean proportions of stimulus-dependent evaluative thoughts and attention-control utterances elicited during thought-sampling were higher among older than younger adults. The mean proportions of evaluative thoughts and attention-control utterances were higher during the two puzzle sessions than during the two relaxation sessions. There were no age differences in stimulus-independent thought or number of designs attempted, although younger adults completed more easy and difficult puzzles than older adults. There were few gender differences in problem-solving stream of consciousness. The results support the efficacy of a multidimensional approach to the definition and assessment of imagery.