Multifaceted declines in everyday decision-making in older adults: a think-aloud study

Perry, SJ, Roberts, KL ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8735-2249, Atkin, C ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5086-1173, Badham, SP ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6890-102X and Al-Janabi, H, 2026. Multifaceted declines in everyday decision-making in older adults: a think-aloud study. Journal of Applied Gerontology. ISSN 0733-4648

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Abstract

Background: Experimental evidence has shown sensory and cognitive changes in old age can affect everyday decision-making. Environmental supports may play an important role in mitigating negative impacts.

Objective: This study aimed to (a) identify challenges older adults face in everyday decision-making, (b) assess how environmental supports influence decision-making performance, and (c) explore strategies older adults use to support everyday decision-making.

Methods: Twenty-six older adults in the UK participated in think-aloud interviews while performing decision-making tasks under varied visual clarity and note-taking conditions. Follow-up discussions probed everyday decision-making challenges and supports.

Results: ‘Comprehension’ and ‘process’ challenges were most frequent. Clearer presentation improved overall performance, with fewer reading challenges. Note-taking reduced calculation challenges but increased comprehension challenges, making no difference to overall performance. Support strategies used in everyday life included note-taking, and sensory and social support. Findings indicate decision-making declines in older adults are multifaceted, shaped by sensory, cognitive, and socio-emotional factors.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	Journal of Applied Gerontology
Creators:	Perry, S.J., Roberts, K.L., Atkin, C., Badham, S.P. and Al-Janabi, H.
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
Date:	7 April 2026
ISSN:	0733-4648
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.1177/07334648261440714 DOI 2619057 Other
Rights:	© The Author(s) 2026. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) which permits any use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access page (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).
Divisions:	Schools > School of Social Sciences
Record created by:	Laura Borcherds
Date Added:	22 Apr 2026 07:36
Last Modified:	22 Apr 2026 07:36
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/55585

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