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Improving multitasking assessment in healthy older adults using a prop-based version of the Breakfast task
Maria Kosowicz1, Sarah E MacPherson1
1a Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, Human Cognitive Neuroscience, Department of Psychology , University of Edinburgh , Edinburgh , UK.
Applied Neuropsychology. Adult
|April 19, 2016
Summary
Computerized cognitive tests may overestimate age-related multitasking decline. Real-world, prop-based tasks show fewer age differences, suggesting context is key for accurate older adult assessments.
Area of Science:
- Neuropsychology
- Cognitive Aging
- Human Factors
Background:
- Computerized cognitive assessments are prevalent in clinical and research settings.
- Multitasking abilities are crucial for daily functioning, but their assessment in older adults using computerized tasks is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare age-related effects on multitasking using computerized versus prop-based assessments.
- To determine the ecological validity of computerized multitasking tasks for older adults.
Main Methods:
- Direct comparison of age effects on multitasking performance.
- Utilized computerized and prop-based versions of the Craik and Bialystok (2006) Breakfast task.
- Assessed young adults (18-24 years) and older adults (60-79 years).
Main Results:
- Age-related decrements in multitasking were observed with the computerized task.
- No significant age differences were found on most measures using the prop-based task.
- Older adults performed similarly to younger adults on the more contextualized, prop-based assessment.
Conclusions:
- Computerized multitasking assessments may exaggerate age-related performance deficits.
- Prop-based, contextualized tasks may provide a more ecologically valid measure of older adults' multitasking abilities.
- Future research should consider task context when assessing cognitive functions in aging populations.
