Patil M and Patrick M
This research proposal examines factor of age in passing of salt, extending it to the pepper. One hundred participants (50 infants, 50 elderly adults) complete a questionnaire with snacks and drinks and a salt shaker and a pepper shaker beside them on the table. They are asked by another infant or elder who seems to complete questionnaire, but who is working with the experimenter, to pass the salt or pepper. According to expectations, every subject does so, but is slower with pepper (estimated means responses times 1.7s to 5.1s) than with the salt (responses times 1.5 to 3.5s) and with someone of their own age (1.7s to 5.1s) than with someone of the age different (2.0s to 3.3s). Response times are slowest of all when the infant asked the infant to pass the pepper (5.1). Implications for theory are presented and, in light of possible criticisms of the current work, suggestions are made for the future research going forward.
