The Relationship between Age, Curiosity and Hybrid Foraging Search Performance: Examining whether and how Aging and the Degree of Curiosity affect Patch-leaving Behavior in a Hybrid Foraging Task
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2022-07-01
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en
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Abstract
Within hybrid foraging search, observers search for numerous instances of any of several types
of targets among distractors. Target and distractor objects are displayed on a computer screen
which, in foraging literature, is referred to as a “patch”. Observers are instructed to gather
targets as soon as possible via mouse clicks. The moment they decide to leave the patch they
are in and move on to the next patch, is called “patch-leaving behavior”. Explorative search is
(early patch-leaving behavior) is most optimal in terms of maximizing output per time. In
previous studies it is demonstrated that older adults adopt a more exhaustive search strategy
than younger adults in hybrid foraging search. Moreover, an age-related decline in curiosity is
found in literature. Could it be that exhaustive search in older adults is driven by a decline in
curiosity? To study this, 31 human participants of a wide age range participated in a shortened
version of a hybrid foraging task. Age and degree of curiosity were obtained via questionnaires.
The results indicate no relationship between age and patch-leaving behavior nor between
curiosity and patch-leaving behavior. We did replicate the age-related decline in curiosity.
Possibly, the shortened version of the hybrid foraging task triggered participants into the
adaptation of a more exhaustive search strategy.
Keywords: age, curiosity, hybrid foraging search, patch-leaving behavior.
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Faculteit der Sociale Wetenschappen