Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Age differences in dual-task interference are localized to response-generation processes.

A A Hartley1

  • 1Scripps College, Claremont, California 91711, USA. alan_hartley@scrippscol.edu

Psychology and Aging
|April 17, 2001
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Dysmenorrhea.

Hahnemann monthly·2010
Same author

Is the dissociability of working memory systems for name identity, visual-object identity, and spatial location maintained in old age?

Neuropsychology·2001
Same author

Further evidence that negative priming in the Stroop color-word task is equivalent in older and younger adults.

Psychology and aging·2001
Same author

Locating and fractionating working memory using functional neuroimaging: storage, maintenance, and executive functions.

Microscopy research and technique·2000
Same author

Age-related differences and similarities in dual-task interference.

Journal of experimental psychology. General·2000
Same author

Age-related equivalence of identity suppression in the Stroop color-word task.

Psychology and aging·1997

Older adults show greater dual-task interference, particularly with similar motor responses, suggesting age-related declines in generating multiple motor programs. This interference is not due to processing speed or sensory input modality limitations.

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Neuroscience
  • Human Aging Research

Background:

  • Dual-task performance declines with age, but the underlying mechanisms remain debated.
  • Previous research suggests age-related slowing in cognitive processing.
  • Understanding age-specific limitations in dual-tasking is crucial for maintaining independence in older adults.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate age-related differences in dual-task interference.
  • To differentiate between age-related declines in motor program generation versus perceptual processing capacity.
  • To determine if interference is localized to specific cognitive processes.

Main Methods:

  • Presented two simple tasks with controlled timing between task onsets.
  • Manipulated response modalities (manual-manual vs. manual-oral) to assess motor program generation.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Varied perceptual input modalities (visual-visual vs. auditory-visual) to assess processing capacity.

    • Main Results:

    • Older adults exhibited greater dual-task interference than younger adults, especially when generating two similar motor programs (manual-manual response).
    • Age-related interference exceeded predictions based on general processing speed slowing.
    • Interference was greater when both tasks used the visual modality, but this effect was equivalent for both age groups.
    • No evidence supported an age-related reduction in processing capacity for tasks within the same perceptual modality.

    Conclusions:

    • Age differences in dual-task interference are primarily localized to the response-generation processes.
    • Older adults have a specific deficit in generating and executing multiple, similar motor programs.
    • Perceptual processing capacity differences do not fully explain age-related dual-task interference.