Does verbal labeling influence age differences in proactive and reactive cognitive control?

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology

Background:

• Dynamic control of behavior involves proactive and reactive modes.
• Proactive control maintains task-relevant information, while reactive control reactivates it during response.
• Age-related differences in behavioral control are well-documented.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how verbal labeling affects age-related changes in proactive and reactive control modes.
• To determine if labeling cue versus probe information differentially influences behavioral control strategies.
• To examine these effects in children, younger adults, and older adults.

Main Methods:

• Two experiments using the AX-Continuous-Performance-Task (AX-CPT) with varying stimulus complexity and labeling types.
• Participants included children (7–10 years), younger adults (19–33 years), and older adults (69–83 years).
• Verbal labeling of either cue or probe information was applied to induce shifts in control modes.

Main Results:

• All age groups (children, younger, and older adults) generally exhibited proactive control.
• Cue labeling did not significantly enhance proactive control.
• Probe labeling induced a shift towards reactive control, most notably in children.

Conclusions:

• Verbal labeling can modulate behavioral control by directing attention to task-relevant information.
• Probe labeling appears particularly effective in shifting younger individuals, especially children, towards a reactive control mode.
• Findings highlight the role of verbal cues in regulating behavior across the lifespan.