AGE-DIFFERENCES IN THE FORMATION OF EQUIVALENCE CLASSES

In order to investigate the relationship between stimulus equivalence class formation and age differences, two groups of elderly (ages 62-81 ) and young (ages 19-22) adult men and women mastered a series of simp le and conditional discriminations. Subsequently, they were administer ed a test for the emergence of equivalence relations. There was a sign ificant age difference in the emergence of equivalence relations, with the elderly subjects less likely to demonstrate equivalence relations . Measures of response latencies evidenced a general slowing of behavi or for the elderly group across tasks. There were no gender or Age by Gender interactions. Possible explanations for the age differences ore discussed.