I Think, Therefore I Age

Decision-making defines the many unique choices that people make each day. People rely on complex cognitive movements to direct the many choices they are able to make; choices capable of significant consequences across all stages of life. Though many people are well aware of the complex decisions they make, not many understand the underlying processes that lead them to make a specific decision.

Dr. Kaileigh Byrne in the Department of Psychology at Clemson University leads the Aging and Decision-making Creative Inquiry project to examine the complexities behind the decision-making process. This Creative Inquiry team examines adaptive and maladaptive decision-making strategies linked to individuals with healthy aging, processes that allow for individuals to maintain functional activities and their quality of life independent of outside assistance. “Decision-making depends on personal motivation and past experiences,” Byrne said, “if we’ve had a lot of past experiences—positive past experiences—in a certain area, then we might be more risk-seeking in that context. If they’re more negative in a certain context, then we might be more guarded or more risk averse.”

The team recruits study participants from the Clemson area. Participants are split into two groups: senior citizens (65 or older) and young adults (20 to 35). Participants from both groups answer questions regarding their everyday decisions in order for the team to determine how they make individual decisions and what experiences from their past inform their decisions.

The students collaborate with Erin Newell, a former undergraduate who serves as the lab manager. Newell and Savannah Busto, a junior psychology major, spent last summer examining and analyzing participant data. “It’s just eye-opening to see we are part of this new, interesting, cutting-edge research, finding answers to these problems along the way,” Busto said. Busto’s work uncovered the relationship between social engagement and memory. Part of the team’s research involves direct interaction with the subjects to understand if they are experiencing healthy aging or cognitive deterioration.

The Creative Inquiry team hopes this research will identify and eventually counteract the cognitive trends in those affected by Alzheimer’s disease. Currently, this disease occurs more in senior citizens in isolated rural areas. The team is interested in investigating if social interactions, or lack thereof, can affect incidence of Alzheimer’s disease and if so, does it change the person’s decision-making. The team is excited to see what will develop and hopes that their principle findings will go toward alleviating related complex psychological issues that many older adults face. Because of the lack of research in this area, this Creative Inquiry project has the potential to contribute to revolutionary findings in the field of psychology, while establishing new ways to enhance cognitive development in aging adults.