The relationships between cognitive functioning and decision making under value-based conditions in older adults: Findings based on a psychometric network analysis

Decision making (DM) under value-based conditions is pervasive in everyday life and crucial in supporting individuals’ wellbeing, especially as age increases and it becomes more difficult to cope with negative consequences of suboptimal choices. Considering that aging induces people to make riskier choices under value-based conditions and that executive functions and memory can support safe choices, the present study investigated the relationships between DM under two of the main value-based conditions (i.e., ambiguity and risk) and the core abilities underlying executive functions and memory in a sample of 138 healthy older adults. Psychometric network analysis was used to assess pairwise associations between such abilities. Results showed positive interconnections between DM under risk and executive functions and memory, whereas DM under ambiguity presented different partial correlations according to the decisional condition (prominent ambiguity vs. ambiguity with a component of risk). The study provided hints for the comprehension of cognitive mechanisms underlying value-based DM in aging.