Stacey Wood - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Stacey Wood

Current Directions in Psychological Science, 2021

Not a week goes by without stories about scams appearing in popular media outlets. Given the ease... more Not a week goes by without stories about scams appearing in popular media outlets. Given the ease with which scams can be circulated, they have become one of the most common crimes globally, inflicting high emotional, financial, and psychological tolls on millions of individuals. Despite their profound and pervasive impact, researchers know relatively little about why some individuals fall victim to scams but others remain immune to the techniques utilized by scammers to lure potential victims. For example, research thus far provides mixed results about the impact of demographic characteristics (e.g., age) as well as personality variables (e.g., risk taking) on individuals’ susceptibility to scams. Even less is known about how the nature or type of scam affects an individual’s susceptibility. Gaining a deeper understanding of these issues is the key to being able to develop preventive programs and reduce the prevalence of victimization. Here, we discuss some promising directions, ex...

Innovation in Aging, 2017

Elder abuse is a serious concern for global public health and for the health and well-being of vi... more Elder abuse is a serious concern for global public health and for the health and well-being of victimized older adults. To date, there is a paucity of research on the experience of elder abuse among those who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) or who have engaged in same-sex sexual relationships (SSSRs). Older sexual minorities have been subjected to high rates of lifecourse victimization due to their sexual orientation, and certain sexual minority groups are at heightened risk of intimate partner violence; however, concepts of elder abuse are rarely explored in this population. This paper uses a U.S.-based dataset from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP; n=3,005) to investigate this phenomenon. Although NSHAP does not ask participants about sexual orientation, it records whether they have ever engaged in SSSRs. While this group does not wholly encompass LGB individuals, it provides initial insights into the elder abuse experiences of a sexual minority population. In total, over 1 in 10 older adults in NSHAP were victims of verbal, financial, or physical abuse. The rates of abuse for those who had engaged in SSSRs, though not significantly different from the overall population, differed qualitatively from the rates of abuse in non-SSSR individuals, both at large and within subgroups. These differences point to populations that might be appropriate targets for elder abuse education and prevention efforts and highlight the importance of collecting information on both sexual minority status and elder abuse experiences in large aging surveys.

Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 2017

Currently, fewer older adults are online compared to younger generations. However, with many new ... more Currently, fewer older adults are online compared to younger generations. However, with many new initiatives aiming to significantly increase the number of older internet users, they will increasingly be exposed to potential victimisation from internet fraud, a fundamental issue affecting all adult internet users. Despite this, little research has examined online risktaking across the adult lifespan or adults' reasoning about risky online behaviours. Using fuzzy trace theory (FTT), we investigated adults' online risk-taking behaviour and intentions, and whether these behaviours were related to different ways of reasoning about risk, namely, gist reasoning (using qualitative, intuitive knowledge) and verbatim reasoning (using quantitative, specific knowledge). Participants (326 adults, 18-79 years old, Mage = 49.54 years) reported their past risk-taking behaviour, future online risk intentions, gist and verbatim reasoning about online risk, sensation seeking, and time spent online. Age was negatively correlated with past risk-taking, time online, future risk intentions, and sensation seeking. However, time spent online was positively related to future risk intentions, suggesting that spending more time using the internet could lead individuals to take more risks. Increased verbatim reasoning predicted increased intentions to take online risks, while gist reasoning predicted reduced intentions to take risks online. Our findings extend online risk research applying FTT to adolescents and young adults and suggests that online safety training incorporating gist-based reasoning strategies could benefit all adults and, in particular, older generations.

The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 2015

Objectives: To examine the role of numeracy, or comfort with numbers, as a potential risk factor ... more Objectives: To examine the role of numeracy, or comfort with numbers, as a potential risk factor for financial elder exploitation in a community sample. Method: Individually administered surveys were given to 201 independent, community-dwelling adults aged 60 and older. Risk for financial elder exploitation was assessed using the Older Adult Financial Exploitation Measure (OAFEM). Other variables of interest included numeracy, executive functioning, and other risk factors identified from the literature. Assessments were completed individually at the Wood Lab at Scripps College in Claremont, CA and neighboring community centers. Results: After controlling for other variables, including education, lower numeracy was related to higher scores on the OAFEM consistent with higher risk for financial exploitation. Self-reported physical and mental health, male gender, and younger age were also related to increased risk. Conclusions: Results indicated that numeracy is a significant risk factor for elder financial exploitation after controlling for other commonly reported variables. These findings are consistent with the broader literature relating numeracy to wealth and debt levels and extend them to the area of elder financial exploitation.

Journal of Open Psychology Data, 2015

This data pool (N = 617) comes from 10 studies assessing performance of healthy participants (i.e... more This data pool (N = 617) comes from 10 studies assessing performance of healthy participants (i.e., no known neurological impairments) on the Iowa gambling task (IGT)-a task measuring decision making under uncertainty in an experimental context. Participants completed a computerized version of the IGT consisting of 95-150 trials. The data consist of the choices of each participant on each trial, and the resulting rewards and losses. The data are stored as .rdata, .csv, and .txt files, and can be reused to (1) analyze IGT performance of healthy participants; (2) create a "super control group"; or (3) facilitate model-comparison efforts.

Handbook of the Psychology of Aging, 2011

Psychology and Aging, 2006

Studies of younger adults have found that negative information has a stronger influence than posi... more Studies of younger adults have found that negative information has a stronger influence than positive information across a wide range of domains. T. A. Ito, J. T. Larsen, N. K. Smith, and J. T. Cacioppo (1998) reported that during evaluative categorization, extreme negative images produced greater brain activity than did equally extreme positive images in younger adults. Older adults have been reported to optimize affect and attend less to negative information. In this article, the negativity bias was examined in 20 older versus 20 younger adults during evaluative categorization, with a focus on brain activity occurring roughly 500 ms after presentation of visual stimuli. Results demonstrated a significant decrease in brain activity to both positive and negative stimuli (p Ͻ .05) and an elimination of the negativity bias in older adults.

The Gerontologist, 2001

The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of the prevalence rating of depression in... more The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of the prevalence rating of depression in nursing homes as flagged on the Minimum Data Set (MDS) quality indicator report. Design and Methods: Research Staff measured depression symptoms and compared the results with the prevalence of disturbed mood symptoms documented by nursing home (NH) staff on the MDS in two samples of residents living in different NHs. The homes had been flagged on the nationally mandated MDS quality indicator report as having unusually low (Site 1) or high (Site 2) prevalence rates of depression. Results: The percentages of residents determined by research staff interview assessments to have probable depression in the two resident samples were not significantly different (49% vs. 55%, respectively) between homes. The staff in the home flagged on the MDS quality indicator report as having a high depression prevalence rate identified significantly more residents who also had scores indicative of probable depression on the resident interviews for follow-up mood assessments than did the home with a low quality indicator prevalence rate (78% vs. 25%, respectively). Implications: The prevalence of the depression quality indicator may be more reflective of measurement processes than of depression outcomes. Factors that may affect the difference in detection rates are discussed.

Behavioral Sciences & the Law, 2007

Purpose-This study investigates the impact of statutory reform in adult guardianship on court pra... more Purpose-This study investigates the impact of statutory reform in adult guardianship on court practice. Methods-Case files for 298 cases of adult guardianship were reviewed in three states with varying degrees of statutory reform: MA (no reform), PA (major amendments in 1992), and CO (full re-enactment of statute per UGPPA in 2000). Five court practices associated with progressive statutory reform were studied: (1) diversion to less restrictive alternatives; (2) minimal and appropriate use of emergency procedures; (3) presence of the alleged incapacitated person at the hearing; (4) use of functional evaluation; (5) use of limited orders. Results-CO more frequently utilized all five practices, whereas PA used diversion to less restrictive alternatives and less frequent emergency procedures, but not other practices. MA files rarely showed evidence for use of any of these reforms. Implications-Statutory reform may improve court practice. More study of the effects of reform on court practices, and the vulnerable adults served by these courts, is needed.

The Gerontologist, 2007

This work was funded by the Charles H. Farnsworth Trust. We thank Kelly Petersen, David Dicenso, ... more This work was funded by the Charles H. Farnsworth Trust. We thank Kelly Petersen, David Dicenso, and Ross Davis for their assistance in data collection and coding. Kelly Petersen was also instrumental in examining oral testimony in Pennsylvania. We thank Judge Rebecca Bromley for her facilitation of file access in Colorado. We are also grateful to the court staff members in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Colorado, who were very accommodating to data-collection efforts at their sites. We are thankful to Daniel Marson and Charles Sabatino, and to the ABA-APA Assessment of Capacity in Older Adults Working Group for their supportive and incisive discussions about the topic of capacity over the years.

Innovation in Aging, 2021

Financial exploitation (FE) perpetrators are usually seen in a position of trust, such as family ... more Financial exploitation (FE) perpetrators are usually seen in a position of trust, such as family members or friends, whereas perpetrators of scam tend to be unknown individuals. Few empirical studies have examined victim risk factors, and this study aimed to systematically compare risk factors of FE versus scam. One-hundred-and-ninety-five adults (ages 18-89) were recruited to complete a 60-minute survey and interview at Purdue University in Indiana (n1=97) and Scripps College in California (n2=98). Risk factors assessed included cognitive tasks (overall cognition, memory, and executive decision), socio-emotional questionnaires (depression, resilience, ostracism, and social integration), financial measures (numeracy, objective financial knowledge, retirement worries, and financial well-being), physical health and demographics (age, gender, education level, marital status, ethnicity). Additionally, participants reported experiences of FE and scam, including (1) the 11-item short-form...

Innovation in Aging, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has lead to a worldwide surge in COVID-19 related mass marketing scams. Whi... more The COVID-19 pandemic has lead to a worldwide surge in COVID-19 related mass marketing scams. While COVID-19 poses higher health risks for older adults, it is unknown whether older adults are also facing higher financial risks as a result of such scams. Thus, the present study examined age differences in vulnerability to COVID-19 scams and factors that might help explain them. In June 2020, 68 younger (18 – 40 years, M = 25.67, SD = 5.93), 79 middle-aged (41 – 64 years, M = 49.86, SD = 7.20), and 63 older adults (65 – 84 years, M = 69.87, SD = 4.50) were recruited through Prolific. Participants responded to five COVID-19 solicitations, psychological measures, and demographic questions. Across solicitations, older adults perceived COVID-19 solicitations to offer significantly fewer benefits than both younger and middle-aged adults did. However, age groups neither differed in their perception of the solicitations’ risks and genuineness nor in their willingness to act in response to CO...

Brain and Behavior, 2021

IntroductionMass marketing scams threaten financial and personal well‐being. Grounded in fuzzy‐tr... more IntroductionMass marketing scams threaten financial and personal well‐being. Grounded in fuzzy‐trace theory, we examined whether verbatim and gist‐based risk processing predicts susceptibility to scams and whether such processing can be altered.MethodsSeven hundred and one participants read a solicitation letter online and indicated willingness to call an “activation number” to claim an alleged $500,000 sweepstakes prize. Participants focused on the solicitation's verbatim details (hypothesized to increase risk‐taking) or its broad gist (hypothesized to decrease risk‐taking).ResultsAs expected, measures of verbatim‐based processing positively predicted contact intentions, whereas measures of gist‐based processing negatively predicted contact intentions. Contrary to hypotheses, experimental conditions did not influence intentions (43% across conditions). Contact intentions were associated with perceptions of low risk, high benefit, and the offer's apparent genuineness, as wel...

Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 2021

Introduction/Objectives The healthcare intake process plays a significant role in informing medic... more Introduction/Objectives The healthcare intake process plays a significant role in informing medical personnel about patients’ demographic information, subjective health status, and health complaints. Intake forms can help providers personalize care to assist patients in getting proper referrals and treatment. Previous studies examined factors that could be included in intake forms independently, but this study analyzed loneliness, religiousness, household income, and social integration together to see how the combined effect influences mental and physical health status. This study aims to determine which of those 4 variables better inform patients’ mental versus physical health status. Methods One hundred and seventy-nine participants completed surveys, including the SF-12® Health Survey, measuring perceived physical and mental health, UCLA 3-item Loneliness Scale, and a demographics questionnaire with questions about household income and time spent dedicated to religious practice, ...

Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics, 2017

Why is the public so underprepared for retirement? We studied the saving behavior of a large cros... more Why is the public so underprepared for retirement? We studied the saving behavior of a large cross-section of adults to investigate age differences in motivations to save across adulthood. Our investigation revealed that both a future oriented mindset as well as adequate financial knowledge may be necessary for younger adults to engage in saving for their retirement. This finding is consistent with a theoretical account in which younger adults who have long time horizons prioritize preparatory goals and knowledge seeking. As time horizons shorten, motivations to realize goals replace motivations to gather knowledge. Accordingly, future oriented attitudes were more directly associated with saving with advancing age, such that future oriented adults who were approaching retirement saved regardless of their level of financial knowledge. Our findings reveal a dynamic character of saving tendencies across adulthood and imply age differences in the psychological factors that motivate saving behavior.

Risk analysis : an official publication of the Society for Risk Analysis, Jan 17, 2017

In later life, people are faced with a multitude of risky decisions that concern their health, fi... more In later life, people are faced with a multitude of risky decisions that concern their health, finance, and personal security. Older adults often exercise caution in situations that involve risk. In this research, we asked whether older adults are also more responsive to warnings about potential risk. An answer to this question could reveal a factor underlying increased cautiousness in older age. In Study 1, participants decided whether they would engage in risky activities (e.g., using an ATM machine in the street) in four realistic scenarios about which participants could be expected to have relevant knowledge or experience. They then made posterior decisions after listening to audio extracts of real reports relevant to each activity. In Study 2, we explored the role that emotions play in decision updating. As in Study 1, participants made prior and posterior decisions, with the exception that for each scenario the reports were presented in their original audio format (high emotiv...

Aging and Decision Making, 2015

Psychology and Aging, 2012

Are older adults risk seeking or risk averse? Answering this question might depend on both the ta... more Are older adults risk seeking or risk averse? Answering this question might depend on both the task used and the analysis performed. By modeling responses to the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART), our results illustrate the value of modeling as compared to relying on common analysis techniques. While analysis of overall measures suggested initially that older and younger adults do not differ in their risky decisions, our modeling results indicated that younger adults were at first more willing to take greater risks. Furthermore, older adults may be more cautious when their decision making is based on initial perceptions of risk, rather than learning following some experience with a task.

PLoS ONE, 2013

Many patients expect their doctor to help them choose a Medicare prescription drug plan. Whether ... more Many patients expect their doctor to help them choose a Medicare prescription drug plan. Whether the size of the choice set affects clinicians' decision processes and strategy selection, and the quality of their choice, as it does their older patients, is an important question with serious financial consequences. Seventy medical students and internal medicine residents completed a within-subject design using Mouselab, a computer program that allows the information-acquisition process to be examined. We examined highly numerate physician trainees' decision processes, strategy, and their ability to pick the cheapest drug plan-as price was deemed the most important factor in Medicare beneficiaries' plan choice-from either 3 or 9 drug plans. Before adjustment, participants were significantly more likely to identify the lowest cost plan when facing three versus nine choices (67.3% vs. 32.8%, p<0.01) and paid significantly less in excess premiums ($60.00 vs. $128.51, p<0.01). Compared to the three-plan condition, in the nine-plan condition participants spent significantly less time acquiring information on each attribute (p<0.05) and were more likely to employ decision strategies focusing on comparing alternate plans across a single attribute (search pattern, p<0.05). After adjusting for decision process and strategy, numeracy, and amount of medical training, the odds were 10.75 times higher that trainees would choose the lowest cost Medicare Part D drug plan when facing 3 versus 9 drug plans (p<0.05). Although employing more efficient search strategies in the complex choice environment, physician trainees experienced similar difficulty in choosing the lowest cost prescription drug plans as older patients do. Our results add further evidence that simplifications to the Medicare Part D decision environment are needed and suggest physicians' role in their patients' Part D choices may be most productive when assisting seniors with forecasting their expected medication needs and then referring them to the Medicare website or helpline.

Medical Care Research and Review, 2012

Because many seniors choose Medicare Part D plans offering poorer coverage at greater cost, the a... more Because many seniors choose Medicare Part D plans offering poorer coverage at greater cost, the authors examined the effect of price frames, brand names, and choice set size on participants’ ability to choose the lowest cost plan. A 2 × 2 × 2 within-subjects design was used with 126 participants aged 18 to 91 years old. Mouselab, a web-based program, allowed participants to choose drug plans across eight trials that varied using numeric or symbolic prices, real or fictitious drug plan names, and three or nine drug plan options. Results from the multilevel models suggest numeric versus symbolic prices decreased the likelihood of choosing the lowest cost plan (−8.0 percentage points, 95% confidence interval = −14.7 to −0.9). The likelihood of choosing the lowest cost plan decreased as the amount of information increased suggesting that decision cues operated independently and collectively when selecting a drug plan. Redesigning the current Medicare Part D plan decision environment cou...

Current Directions in Psychological Science, 2021

Not a week goes by without stories about scams appearing in popular media outlets. Given the ease... more Not a week goes by without stories about scams appearing in popular media outlets. Given the ease with which scams can be circulated, they have become one of the most common crimes globally, inflicting high emotional, financial, and psychological tolls on millions of individuals. Despite their profound and pervasive impact, researchers know relatively little about why some individuals fall victim to scams but others remain immune to the techniques utilized by scammers to lure potential victims. For example, research thus far provides mixed results about the impact of demographic characteristics (e.g., age) as well as personality variables (e.g., risk taking) on individuals’ susceptibility to scams. Even less is known about how the nature or type of scam affects an individual’s susceptibility. Gaining a deeper understanding of these issues is the key to being able to develop preventive programs and reduce the prevalence of victimization. Here, we discuss some promising directions, ex...

Innovation in Aging, 2017

Elder abuse is a serious concern for global public health and for the health and well-being of vi... more Elder abuse is a serious concern for global public health and for the health and well-being of victimized older adults. To date, there is a paucity of research on the experience of elder abuse among those who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) or who have engaged in same-sex sexual relationships (SSSRs). Older sexual minorities have been subjected to high rates of lifecourse victimization due to their sexual orientation, and certain sexual minority groups are at heightened risk of intimate partner violence; however, concepts of elder abuse are rarely explored in this population. This paper uses a U.S.-based dataset from the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP; n=3,005) to investigate this phenomenon. Although NSHAP does not ask participants about sexual orientation, it records whether they have ever engaged in SSSRs. While this group does not wholly encompass LGB individuals, it provides initial insights into the elder abuse experiences of a sexual minority population. In total, over 1 in 10 older adults in NSHAP were victims of verbal, financial, or physical abuse. The rates of abuse for those who had engaged in SSSRs, though not significantly different from the overall population, differed qualitatively from the rates of abuse in non-SSSR individuals, both at large and within subgroups. These differences point to populations that might be appropriate targets for elder abuse education and prevention efforts and highlight the importance of collecting information on both sexual minority status and elder abuse experiences in large aging surveys.

Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 2017

Currently, fewer older adults are online compared to younger generations. However, with many new ... more Currently, fewer older adults are online compared to younger generations. However, with many new initiatives aiming to significantly increase the number of older internet users, they will increasingly be exposed to potential victimisation from internet fraud, a fundamental issue affecting all adult internet users. Despite this, little research has examined online risktaking across the adult lifespan or adults' reasoning about risky online behaviours. Using fuzzy trace theory (FTT), we investigated adults' online risk-taking behaviour and intentions, and whether these behaviours were related to different ways of reasoning about risk, namely, gist reasoning (using qualitative, intuitive knowledge) and verbatim reasoning (using quantitative, specific knowledge). Participants (326 adults, 18-79 years old, Mage = 49.54 years) reported their past risk-taking behaviour, future online risk intentions, gist and verbatim reasoning about online risk, sensation seeking, and time spent online. Age was negatively correlated with past risk-taking, time online, future risk intentions, and sensation seeking. However, time spent online was positively related to future risk intentions, suggesting that spending more time using the internet could lead individuals to take more risks. Increased verbatim reasoning predicted increased intentions to take online risks, while gist reasoning predicted reduced intentions to take risks online. Our findings extend online risk research applying FTT to adolescents and young adults and suggests that online safety training incorporating gist-based reasoning strategies could benefit all adults and, in particular, older generations.

The Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 2015

Objectives: To examine the role of numeracy, or comfort with numbers, as a potential risk factor ... more Objectives: To examine the role of numeracy, or comfort with numbers, as a potential risk factor for financial elder exploitation in a community sample. Method: Individually administered surveys were given to 201 independent, community-dwelling adults aged 60 and older. Risk for financial elder exploitation was assessed using the Older Adult Financial Exploitation Measure (OAFEM). Other variables of interest included numeracy, executive functioning, and other risk factors identified from the literature. Assessments were completed individually at the Wood Lab at Scripps College in Claremont, CA and neighboring community centers. Results: After controlling for other variables, including education, lower numeracy was related to higher scores on the OAFEM consistent with higher risk for financial exploitation. Self-reported physical and mental health, male gender, and younger age were also related to increased risk. Conclusions: Results indicated that numeracy is a significant risk factor for elder financial exploitation after controlling for other commonly reported variables. These findings are consistent with the broader literature relating numeracy to wealth and debt levels and extend them to the area of elder financial exploitation.

Journal of Open Psychology Data, 2015

This data pool (N = 617) comes from 10 studies assessing performance of healthy participants (i.e... more This data pool (N = 617) comes from 10 studies assessing performance of healthy participants (i.e., no known neurological impairments) on the Iowa gambling task (IGT)-a task measuring decision making under uncertainty in an experimental context. Participants completed a computerized version of the IGT consisting of 95-150 trials. The data consist of the choices of each participant on each trial, and the resulting rewards and losses. The data are stored as .rdata, .csv, and .txt files, and can be reused to (1) analyze IGT performance of healthy participants; (2) create a "super control group"; or (3) facilitate model-comparison efforts.

Handbook of the Psychology of Aging, 2011

Psychology and Aging, 2006

Studies of younger adults have found that negative information has a stronger influence than posi... more Studies of younger adults have found that negative information has a stronger influence than positive information across a wide range of domains. T. A. Ito, J. T. Larsen, N. K. Smith, and J. T. Cacioppo (1998) reported that during evaluative categorization, extreme negative images produced greater brain activity than did equally extreme positive images in younger adults. Older adults have been reported to optimize affect and attend less to negative information. In this article, the negativity bias was examined in 20 older versus 20 younger adults during evaluative categorization, with a focus on brain activity occurring roughly 500 ms after presentation of visual stimuli. Results demonstrated a significant decrease in brain activity to both positive and negative stimuli (p Ͻ .05) and an elimination of the negativity bias in older adults.

The Gerontologist, 2001

The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of the prevalence rating of depression in... more The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of the prevalence rating of depression in nursing homes as flagged on the Minimum Data Set (MDS) quality indicator report. Design and Methods: Research Staff measured depression symptoms and compared the results with the prevalence of disturbed mood symptoms documented by nursing home (NH) staff on the MDS in two samples of residents living in different NHs. The homes had been flagged on the nationally mandated MDS quality indicator report as having unusually low (Site 1) or high (Site 2) prevalence rates of depression. Results: The percentages of residents determined by research staff interview assessments to have probable depression in the two resident samples were not significantly different (49% vs. 55%, respectively) between homes. The staff in the home flagged on the MDS quality indicator report as having a high depression prevalence rate identified significantly more residents who also had scores indicative of probable depression on the resident interviews for follow-up mood assessments than did the home with a low quality indicator prevalence rate (78% vs. 25%, respectively). Implications: The prevalence of the depression quality indicator may be more reflective of measurement processes than of depression outcomes. Factors that may affect the difference in detection rates are discussed.

Behavioral Sciences & the Law, 2007

Purpose-This study investigates the impact of statutory reform in adult guardianship on court pra... more Purpose-This study investigates the impact of statutory reform in adult guardianship on court practice. Methods-Case files for 298 cases of adult guardianship were reviewed in three states with varying degrees of statutory reform: MA (no reform), PA (major amendments in 1992), and CO (full re-enactment of statute per UGPPA in 2000). Five court practices associated with progressive statutory reform were studied: (1) diversion to less restrictive alternatives; (2) minimal and appropriate use of emergency procedures; (3) presence of the alleged incapacitated person at the hearing; (4) use of functional evaluation; (5) use of limited orders. Results-CO more frequently utilized all five practices, whereas PA used diversion to less restrictive alternatives and less frequent emergency procedures, but not other practices. MA files rarely showed evidence for use of any of these reforms. Implications-Statutory reform may improve court practice. More study of the effects of reform on court practices, and the vulnerable adults served by these courts, is needed.

The Gerontologist, 2007

This work was funded by the Charles H. Farnsworth Trust. We thank Kelly Petersen, David Dicenso, ... more This work was funded by the Charles H. Farnsworth Trust. We thank Kelly Petersen, David Dicenso, and Ross Davis for their assistance in data collection and coding. Kelly Petersen was also instrumental in examining oral testimony in Pennsylvania. We thank Judge Rebecca Bromley for her facilitation of file access in Colorado. We are also grateful to the court staff members in Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Colorado, who were very accommodating to data-collection efforts at their sites. We are thankful to Daniel Marson and Charles Sabatino, and to the ABA-APA Assessment of Capacity in Older Adults Working Group for their supportive and incisive discussions about the topic of capacity over the years.

Innovation in Aging, 2021

Financial exploitation (FE) perpetrators are usually seen in a position of trust, such as family ... more Financial exploitation (FE) perpetrators are usually seen in a position of trust, such as family members or friends, whereas perpetrators of scam tend to be unknown individuals. Few empirical studies have examined victim risk factors, and this study aimed to systematically compare risk factors of FE versus scam. One-hundred-and-ninety-five adults (ages 18-89) were recruited to complete a 60-minute survey and interview at Purdue University in Indiana (n1=97) and Scripps College in California (n2=98). Risk factors assessed included cognitive tasks (overall cognition, memory, and executive decision), socio-emotional questionnaires (depression, resilience, ostracism, and social integration), financial measures (numeracy, objective financial knowledge, retirement worries, and financial well-being), physical health and demographics (age, gender, education level, marital status, ethnicity). Additionally, participants reported experiences of FE and scam, including (1) the 11-item short-form...

Innovation in Aging, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has lead to a worldwide surge in COVID-19 related mass marketing scams. Whi... more The COVID-19 pandemic has lead to a worldwide surge in COVID-19 related mass marketing scams. While COVID-19 poses higher health risks for older adults, it is unknown whether older adults are also facing higher financial risks as a result of such scams. Thus, the present study examined age differences in vulnerability to COVID-19 scams and factors that might help explain them. In June 2020, 68 younger (18 – 40 years, M = 25.67, SD = 5.93), 79 middle-aged (41 – 64 years, M = 49.86, SD = 7.20), and 63 older adults (65 – 84 years, M = 69.87, SD = 4.50) were recruited through Prolific. Participants responded to five COVID-19 solicitations, psychological measures, and demographic questions. Across solicitations, older adults perceived COVID-19 solicitations to offer significantly fewer benefits than both younger and middle-aged adults did. However, age groups neither differed in their perception of the solicitations’ risks and genuineness nor in their willingness to act in response to CO...

Brain and Behavior, 2021

IntroductionMass marketing scams threaten financial and personal well‐being. Grounded in fuzzy‐tr... more IntroductionMass marketing scams threaten financial and personal well‐being. Grounded in fuzzy‐trace theory, we examined whether verbatim and gist‐based risk processing predicts susceptibility to scams and whether such processing can be altered.MethodsSeven hundred and one participants read a solicitation letter online and indicated willingness to call an “activation number” to claim an alleged $500,000 sweepstakes prize. Participants focused on the solicitation's verbatim details (hypothesized to increase risk‐taking) or its broad gist (hypothesized to decrease risk‐taking).ResultsAs expected, measures of verbatim‐based processing positively predicted contact intentions, whereas measures of gist‐based processing negatively predicted contact intentions. Contrary to hypotheses, experimental conditions did not influence intentions (43% across conditions). Contact intentions were associated with perceptions of low risk, high benefit, and the offer's apparent genuineness, as wel...

Journal of Primary Care & Community Health, 2021

Introduction/Objectives The healthcare intake process plays a significant role in informing medic... more Introduction/Objectives The healthcare intake process plays a significant role in informing medical personnel about patients’ demographic information, subjective health status, and health complaints. Intake forms can help providers personalize care to assist patients in getting proper referrals and treatment. Previous studies examined factors that could be included in intake forms independently, but this study analyzed loneliness, religiousness, household income, and social integration together to see how the combined effect influences mental and physical health status. This study aims to determine which of those 4 variables better inform patients’ mental versus physical health status. Methods One hundred and seventy-nine participants completed surveys, including the SF-12® Health Survey, measuring perceived physical and mental health, UCLA 3-item Loneliness Scale, and a demographics questionnaire with questions about household income and time spent dedicated to religious practice, ...

Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics, 2017

Why is the public so underprepared for retirement? We studied the saving behavior of a large cros... more Why is the public so underprepared for retirement? We studied the saving behavior of a large cross-section of adults to investigate age differences in motivations to save across adulthood. Our investigation revealed that both a future oriented mindset as well as adequate financial knowledge may be necessary for younger adults to engage in saving for their retirement. This finding is consistent with a theoretical account in which younger adults who have long time horizons prioritize preparatory goals and knowledge seeking. As time horizons shorten, motivations to realize goals replace motivations to gather knowledge. Accordingly, future oriented attitudes were more directly associated with saving with advancing age, such that future oriented adults who were approaching retirement saved regardless of their level of financial knowledge. Our findings reveal a dynamic character of saving tendencies across adulthood and imply age differences in the psychological factors that motivate saving behavior.

Risk analysis : an official publication of the Society for Risk Analysis, Jan 17, 2017

In later life, people are faced with a multitude of risky decisions that concern their health, fi... more In later life, people are faced with a multitude of risky decisions that concern their health, finance, and personal security. Older adults often exercise caution in situations that involve risk. In this research, we asked whether older adults are also more responsive to warnings about potential risk. An answer to this question could reveal a factor underlying increased cautiousness in older age. In Study 1, participants decided whether they would engage in risky activities (e.g., using an ATM machine in the street) in four realistic scenarios about which participants could be expected to have relevant knowledge or experience. They then made posterior decisions after listening to audio extracts of real reports relevant to each activity. In Study 2, we explored the role that emotions play in decision updating. As in Study 1, participants made prior and posterior decisions, with the exception that for each scenario the reports were presented in their original audio format (high emotiv...

Aging and Decision Making, 2015

Psychology and Aging, 2012

Are older adults risk seeking or risk averse? Answering this question might depend on both the ta... more Are older adults risk seeking or risk averse? Answering this question might depend on both the task used and the analysis performed. By modeling responses to the Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART), our results illustrate the value of modeling as compared to relying on common analysis techniques. While analysis of overall measures suggested initially that older and younger adults do not differ in their risky decisions, our modeling results indicated that younger adults were at first more willing to take greater risks. Furthermore, older adults may be more cautious when their decision making is based on initial perceptions of risk, rather than learning following some experience with a task.

PLoS ONE, 2013

Many patients expect their doctor to help them choose a Medicare prescription drug plan. Whether ... more Many patients expect their doctor to help them choose a Medicare prescription drug plan. Whether the size of the choice set affects clinicians' decision processes and strategy selection, and the quality of their choice, as it does their older patients, is an important question with serious financial consequences. Seventy medical students and internal medicine residents completed a within-subject design using Mouselab, a computer program that allows the information-acquisition process to be examined. We examined highly numerate physician trainees' decision processes, strategy, and their ability to pick the cheapest drug plan-as price was deemed the most important factor in Medicare beneficiaries' plan choice-from either 3 or 9 drug plans. Before adjustment, participants were significantly more likely to identify the lowest cost plan when facing three versus nine choices (67.3% vs. 32.8%, p<0.01) and paid significantly less in excess premiums ($60.00 vs. $128.51, p<0.01). Compared to the three-plan condition, in the nine-plan condition participants spent significantly less time acquiring information on each attribute (p<0.05) and were more likely to employ decision strategies focusing on comparing alternate plans across a single attribute (search pattern, p<0.05). After adjusting for decision process and strategy, numeracy, and amount of medical training, the odds were 10.75 times higher that trainees would choose the lowest cost Medicare Part D drug plan when facing 3 versus 9 drug plans (p<0.05). Although employing more efficient search strategies in the complex choice environment, physician trainees experienced similar difficulty in choosing the lowest cost prescription drug plans as older patients do. Our results add further evidence that simplifications to the Medicare Part D decision environment are needed and suggest physicians' role in their patients' Part D choices may be most productive when assisting seniors with forecasting their expected medication needs and then referring them to the Medicare website or helpline.

Medical Care Research and Review, 2012

Because many seniors choose Medicare Part D plans offering poorer coverage at greater cost, the a... more Because many seniors choose Medicare Part D plans offering poorer coverage at greater cost, the authors examined the effect of price frames, brand names, and choice set size on participants’ ability to choose the lowest cost plan. A 2 × 2 × 2 within-subjects design was used with 126 participants aged 18 to 91 years old. Mouselab, a web-based program, allowed participants to choose drug plans across eight trials that varied using numeric or symbolic prices, real or fictitious drug plan names, and three or nine drug plan options. Results from the multilevel models suggest numeric versus symbolic prices decreased the likelihood of choosing the lowest cost plan (−8.0 percentage points, 95% confidence interval = −14.7 to −0.9). The likelihood of choosing the lowest cost plan decreased as the amount of information increased suggesting that decision cues operated independently and collectively when selecting a drug plan. Redesigning the current Medicare Part D plan decision environment cou...