Age-Related Changes in Auditory Abilities and in a Competing Task

This study explores the relationship between age and performance on auditory tasks. The primary auditory factors which define broad auditory functions (Ga) show a clear decline with age. This finding supports a claim that Ga is an independent function, separate from crystallized intelligence (Gc). This study also explores the assumption, derived from several theories about the causes of intellectual decline, that competing (dual) tasks would show greater decline in performance than single tests. Present data do not provide evidence to support this assumption.