On the Generality of Age Differences in Social and Nonsocial Decision Making

Objectives. Empirical work with western populations suggests that aging is associated with changes in economic decision making, including, for example, increased prosocial tendencies. We investigated the generality of age effects in social and nonsocial domains by assessing various measures of economic decision making in a rural population from Morocco. Method. We measured age/cohort differences using a number of economic games (risk game, time preferences game, dictator game, trust game, and public goods game) in over 700 participants ranging from 17 to 92 years of age. Results. The results suggest a negative relation between age and risk taking and a concave relation between age and contribution to a public good, but no significant age trends in time preferences, altruism, trust, or trustworthiness. Discussion. Our results indicate that the relationship between aging and decision making is not universal and is shaped by local culture and the type of task rather than biological factors alone. More research is needed to understand the unique age trends prevalent in specific populations and tasks.