Age-related functional field losses are not eccentricity dependent

Area of Science:

• Vision science
• Gerontology
• Human factors

Background:

• Previous research suggests older adults have reduced peripheral target localization.
• This has been attributed to a constriction of the useful field of view.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between age and peripheral target localization.
• To examine the effects of masking, distractors, and luminance on visual performance in older adults.

Main Methods:

• Parametric manipulation of backward masking, flashed distractors, and stimulus luminance.
• Assessment of peripheral target localization errors across different age groups.
• Analysis of error rates based on target eccentricity and age.

Main Results:

• Backward masking and distractors significantly increased localization error rates.
• Performance decrements were more pronounced for peripheral targets and older subjects.
• Stimulus luminance did not affect localization performance at any age.
• Older subjects exhibited an eccentricity-independent increase in localization errors.

Conclusions:

• The findings do not support a selective constriction of the functional visual field in older adults.
• Age-related visual performance decline in localization is widespread across eccentricities.
• Environmental factors like masking and distractors exacerbate visual localization deficits.