Ulrich Mayr, Reinhold Kliegl

• Dimensions of cognitive complexity in figural transformations were examined in the context of adult age differences. Sequential complexity was manipulated through figural transformations of single objects in a multiple- object array. Coordinative complexity was induced through spatial or nonspatial transformations of the entire array. Results confirmed the prediction that age-related slowing is larger in coordinative complexity than in sequential complexity conditions. The effect was stable across 8 sessions (Exp 1), was obtained when age groups were equated in accuracy with criterion-referenced testing (Exp 2), and was corroborated by age-differential probabilities of error types (Exps 1 and 2). A model is proposed attributing age effects under coordinative complexity to 2 factors: (1) basic- level slowing and (2) time-consuming reiterations through the processing sequence due to age-related working memory failures. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)