An Investigation of Learning under Two Types of Social Reinforcers in Young and Elderly Adults

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The verbal learning performance of young and elderly subjects was compared under a factorial design employing praise and reproof and verbal feedback as social reinforcers. Regardless of age group, all subjects made fewer errors under a feedback condition where a correct response was reinforced with a “right” and an incorrect response was not responded to by the experimenter. Elderly subjects performed equally well under praise, reproof, and a neutral control condition. Younger subjects, however, showed superior performance under the control treatment and poorer learning under both praise and reproof.