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To investigate potential age-related differences in performance gains (compensation, optimization) and losses (failure to actualize potential) of collaboration with a familiar partner, we compared pairs of older (N= 75; 69% women) and younger (N = 75; 52% women) age homogeneous same-gender friends who interacted or worked alone to generate strategies for solving interpersonal and instrumental problems. Two indexes of strategy fluency (total and unique number of strategies) and two indexes of strategy type (content of strategy repertoires, strategy selected as most effective by older and younger adults) were examined. Strategies generated by interacting pairs were compared to nominal pair scores. Nominal pair scores indexed dyadic potential and were created by pooling the performance of two individuals who worked alone. Age differences in strategy fluency and type were largely similar to prior research based on individual problem solvers. Interacting pairs produced fewer strategies than nominal pairs but there were no differences in strategy type. For interpersonal problems, older adults were relatively more likely to actualize their dyadic potential. Keywordscollaborative cognition; nominal pairs; everyday problem solving; friends; aging Early research on "collaborative cognition" or "interactive minds" suggested older adults benefit more from working with a partner than do younger adults (Dixon, 1992;Staudinger & Baltes, 1996) Subsequent research addressed whether collaboration serves a compensatory function by allowing older adults to offset age-related cognitive declines (Dixon & Gould, 1998;Strough & Margrett, 2002). Some investigations of compensatory collaboration compared spouses to strangers. Older heterosexual spouses usually (but not always) outperform strangers on memory tasks (Johannson, Andersson, & Rönnberg, 2000; cf., Gould, Osborn, Krein, & Mortenson, 2002). Other investigations of compensatory collaboration compared memory performance in younger spouses to older spouses (e.g., Dixon & Gould, 1998). The focus on spouses and memory performance limits the generalizability of research on collaborative cognition. A spouse may not be available due to divorce, death, marital discord or because the person never married. Research with young adults indicates collaboration between friends on memory tasks can be beneficial (Andersson & Rönnberg, 1996, 1997.Correspondence concerning this article should be sent to JoNell Strough, Department of Psychology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506−6040. Email may be sent to JoNell.Strough@mail.wvu.edu.. Jennifer Flinn is now at Frostburg State University, Department of Psychology. Kelly Schuller is now at the College of Charleston, Department of Psychology. Publisher's Disclaimer:The following manuscript is the final accepted manuscript. It has not been subjected to the final copyediting, fact-checking, and proofreading required for formal publication. It is not the definitive, publisher-authenticated version. The American Psychological Associa...

The effect of frame, or the way in which options are worded, has been shown to influence decisions in many domains; however, the literature lacks studies that examine the effect of age and other individual characteristics on susceptibility to the framing effect. Sixty-eight collegeaged women (M age = 19.10 years, SD = 1.54) and sixty-six women over the age of 60 years (M age = 70.76 years, SD = 7.10) were presented with breast cancer vignettes that varied by frame (i.e., gains option worded in terms of number of women who would be cured and loss option worded in terms of number of women who would die) and degree of risk involved (i.e., risk averse versus risk seeking). Tversky and Kaheman's classic Asian disease design was adapted to create the breast cancer vignette. Participants rated the likelihood of choosing the risk-averse or the risk-seeking treatments. The influence of individual characteristics (age, experience with breast cancer, cognitive ability, cognitive processing, sensation seeking, and need for cognition) on treatment decisions was examined. When presented with the negative frame, older women made riskier decisions than did women presented with the positive frame. Frame, however, did not influence younger women's decisions. Experience with breast cancer (personal and vicarious), crystallized and fluid intelligence (as assessed by the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test), analytical versus heuristic cognitive processing (as assessed by the Rational Experiential Inventory), and sensation seeking (as assessed by the Impulsive Sensation Seeking Scale) were not associated with treatment decisions. Women lower in need for cognition made riskier decisions than did women higher in need for cognition, but that did not vary by frame. The age x frame interaction found using with the breast cancer vignette was also shown using general cancer and non-cancer vignettes. This indicates the interaction of age and frame is generalizable to domains other than breast cancer. Thus, the way in which options are worded influences older women's decisions, which may influence outcomes, particularly in the domain of health. Results can be used to inform health professionals on the best way to present treatment information to patients.

We used hypothetical vignettes to examine whether older adults' endorsement of interpersonal strategies for dealing with health-related (arthritis) everyday problems varied as a function of marital status, gender, and the severity of the problem. Adults 60 years and older (N=127, M = 71.40 years, SD = 7.21) rated interpersonal (i.e., discuss with doctor, spouse, relative) and other strategies (e.g., deal with the problem alone, pray) for solving two hypothetical everyday problems (one mild and one severe arthritis problem). Women reported a greater likelihood of using interpersonal strategies. Married people rated interpersonal strategies that involved their spouse higher than other strategies. Greater severity of problems was associated with greater endorsement of interpersonal strategies. Implications of the results for understanding the conditions under which older adults endorse strategies that may initiate collaborative everyday problem solving are discussed.