Feedback Effects on Spatial Egocentrism in Old Age
- 1 January 1976
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in Journal of Gerontology
- Vol. 31 (1) , 72-75
- https://doi.org/10.1093/geronj/31.1.72
Abstract
In literature on egocentrism, a decline in the ability to decenter with advanced age is indicated. In the present study, the extent to which perspective-taking feedback and practice reduce the egocentric performance of elderly individuals was examined. Eighteen men (X̅ = 68.9 years, sd. = 7.14) and 18 women (X̅ × 72.4 years, sd. = 3.65) were each assigned to one of three treatment conditions: feedback, practice, or control. Either immediately or 2 weeks after training, subjects were post-tested on measures of spatial egocentrism, fluid intelligence, perceptual speed, and volume conservation. The effect of perspectivetaking feedback was to improve scores on the spatial egocentrism task, but this influence did not directly generalize to the other ability measures. Emphasis was placed on the importance of environmental/ experiential variables in the acquisition and maintenance of cognitive abilities in old age.Keywords
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