Ageing brings changes in individuals' capacity to judge and respond to risk, plus critical decisions about retirement and pensions, medical care, making a will.
Our research focuses on understanding the basic cognitive processes that underpin older adults' decision making and applying that understanding to real-world problems of wellbeing and safety in an ageing population.
Basic science includes memory changes with ageing, thinking and reasoning, and mental imagery.
Key applications to safety include medical monitoring, changes in medical safety standards, and smart alarms, as well as older drivers, where the University of Plymouth researchers are working closely with the Devon County Council Road Safety team.
Applications to risk and decision making include research on older adults' decisions about medical insurance and medical treatments, and how age-related changes in people's ability to envisage future events affects their decision making and mental health.
This research aims to promote safer, active ageing with better support for individuals making decisions about their future care and wellbeing.
