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Predictors of semantic categorical flexibility in older adults
Author(s) -
Maintenant Célia,
Blaye Agnès,
Pennequin Valérie,
Paour JeanLouis
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
british journal of psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.536
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 2044-8295
pISSN - 0007-1269
DOI - 10.1111/j.2044-8295.2012.02116.x
Subject(s) - categorical variable , psychology , flexibility (engineering) , categorization , cognitive psychology , replicate , cognitive flexibility , executive functions , task (project management) , developmental psychology , cognition , artificial intelligence , statistics , computer science , machine learning , neuroscience , mathematics , management , economics
This study investigated the processes involved in the aging of semantic categorical flexibility. A previous study revealed the effects of aging on the flexible use of taxonomic relations. We aimed to explain our previous results regarding the performance of older adults; we carried out investigations into the respective roles of executive and conceptual factors in semantic categorical flexibility. Fifty older adults carried out a semantic categorical flexibility task alongside conceptual and executive measures. The results replicate our previous findings and indicate that the predictors of the maintenance of the use of taxonomic relations are conceptual and the predictors of the switching from thematic to taxonomic relations are executive.