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Related Experiment Videos

Age and simple reaction time

R Gottsdanker

    Journal of Gerontology
    |May 1, 1982
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    Simple reaction time (RT) in adults aged 18-93 years showed only a slight increase with age, suggesting age-related behavioral slowing may stem from ineffective control processes rather than central nervous system decline.

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    Area of Science:

    • Cognitive Neuroscience
    • Human Aging Research

    Background:

    • Previous research suggests significant age-related decline in cognitive functions.
    • Simple reaction time (RT) is a fundamental measure of cognitive processing speed.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate age-related changes in simple reaction time.
    • To determine if age-related behavioral slowing is due to general central nervous system decline.

    Main Methods:

    • A study of 220 men and women aged 18-93 years measuring simple RT to a tone.
    • A second study comparing young and old adults matched on optimal RT techniques, manipulating preparatory intervals.

    Main Results:

    • Simple RT increased by less than 2 msec/decade, a slight change.

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  • Older adults were significantly slower only when a long preparatory interval was used, indicating preparation difficulties.

    • Conclusions:

    • The slight age-related increase in simple RT challenges the notion of general central nervous system slowing with age.
    • Behavioral slowing in aging may result from difficulties in implementing effective cognitive control processes, particularly under demanding conditions.