Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Aging, divided attention, and processing capacity

R E Wright

    Journal of Gerontology
    |September 1, 1981
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    Older adults show greater declines in performance as task difficulty increases, especially in divided attention tasks. This suggests age-related limitations in processing capacity may be a key factor.

    Related Concept Videos

    You might also read

    Related Articles

    Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

    Sort by
    Same author

    A Case of Myiasis of the Frontal and Ethmoidal Sinuses and the Orbit.

    The Indian medical gazette·2017
    Same author

    Encysted Guinea-Worm of the Orbit.

    The Indian medical gazette·2017
    Same author

    Ophthalmological Jottings from a Leave Diary.

    The Indian medical gazette·2017
    Same author

    Cysticercus of the Subconjunctival Tissues.

    The Indian medical gazette·2017
    Same author

    A Further Note on Myiasis of the Frontal Sinus.

    The Indian medical gazette·2017
    Same author

    Extirpation of the Lachrymal Sac.

    The Indian medical gazette·2017
    Same journal

    Shakespeare's attitude towards old age.

    Journal of gerontology·2010
    Same journal

    Involution of tissues in fetal life; a review.

    Journal of gerontology·2010
    Same journal

    Attitudes toward aging and the aged; primitive societies.

    Journal of gerontology·2010
    Same journal

    Budgeting for social security.

    Journal of gerontology·2010
    Same journal

    The Hodson Community Center; an experiment in preservation of personality.

    Journal of gerontology·2010
    Same journal

    Prolongation of life with prevention of leukemia by thymectomy in mice.

    Journal of gerontology·2010
    See all related articles

    Area of Science:

    • Cognitive Psychology
    • Neuroscience
    • Human Development

    Background:

    • Divided attention tasks pose significant challenges for older adults.
    • Understanding age-related differences in cognitive performance is crucial for interventions.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the reasons behind older adults' poorer performance in divided attention tasks.
    • To compare the performance of young and old adults across varying task difficulties.

    Main Methods:

    • Two experimental tasks were employed: one single task and one time-sharing task.
    • Task difficulty was manipulated by varying the number of items to rehearse and mental operations.
    • Performance was assessed in both young and old adult groups.

    Related Experiment Videos

    Main Results:

    • Task difficulty significantly impacted performance in both age groups, with greater decline in older adults.
    • The distinction between divided and non-divided attention had minimal effect on overall results.
    • Older adults exhibited a more pronounced and rapid performance decline with increasing task difficulty.

    Conclusions:

    • Limited processing capacity in working memory is a likely explanation for age-related performance deficits.
    • Task difficulty, rather than attention type, appears to be a primary driver of performance decrements.
    • Future research should explore interventions targeting working memory capacity in older adults.