Age differences in the effects of background noise on motor and memory performance in a precision sport

Young (M = 27.8 years) and older (M = 53.2 years) highly skilled miniature golf players were observed in competitions in which the background noise was either tape-recorded traffic sounds or a radio broadcasting a soccer game. Varying in meaningfulness, the two conditions were examples of types of noise which prevail during normal competitive activity in miniature golf. Measures of motor performance, arousal, and memory for shots were registered. Results showed that players played less well and remembered fewer shots under the radio broadcasting condition than in the traffic noise condition; whereas younger players performed equally well for both measures in both noise conditions. In neither age group was the level of arousal affected by type of noise. The results suggest that there may be an age-related impairment in selective attention situations, and, in contrast to past findings, also when the task does not demand that the irrelevant noise stimuli be searched. A claim is made that the benefit of domain-specific expertise in older people is reduced in situations of high arousal or increased cognitive demands.