The proposed research tests the broad claims of the information-loss model of age-related cognitive slowing proposed by Myerson, Hale, Wagstaff, Smith, and Poon (1990). The model assumes that a single factor, variations in the number of processing steps, is responsible for how response latencies are affected by task complexity, practice, fluctuations in individual performance, and shifts in the emphasis on speed versus accuracy. The model further assumes that a second factor, differences in information-processing efficiency, underlies differences in response latencies of older and younger adults. The interaction of these two factors determines the form of the relation between the latencies of older and younger adult. Establishing the relation between the latencies of older and younger adults will provide an important cognitive benchmark that can be used to determine when individual patterns of cognitive slowing are typical of healthy older adults and when such patterns are indicative of pathological changes. To study this relation, three series of experiments will examine the latencies of older and younger adults on a variety of cognitive tasks. The first series will manipulate practice and speed-accuracy tradeoff to test the hypothesis that the relation between older and younger adults' latencies remains invariant. The second series will examine individual subjects and fluctuations in their performances to test the hypothesis that information loss slows all cognitive processes in all individuals at all levels of performance. The final series will test for the existence of two cognitive domains, each with its own developmental trend with respect to cognitive slowing, and is designed to determine the factors responsible for information loss. In all three series, the predictions of the information-loss model will be compared with those of alternative models of global cognitive slowing, e.g., the multi-layered slowing model and the overhead model proposed by Cerella (1985; 1990).

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
1R01AG010197-01
Application #
3122154
Study Section
Human Development and Aging Subcommittee 3 (HUD)
Project Start
1992-07-01
Project End
1995-06-30
Budget Start
1992-07-01
Budget End
1993-06-30
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
1992
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Washington University
Department
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
062761671
City
Saint Louis
State
MO
Country
United States
Zip Code
63130
Myerson, Joel; Adams, David R; Hale, Sandra et al. (2003) Analysis of group differences in processing speed: Brinley plots, Q-Q plots, and other conspiracies. Psychon Bull Rev 10:224-37
Myerson, Joel; Hale, Sandra; Zheng, Yingye et al. (2003) The difference engine: a model of diversity in speeded cognition. Psychon Bull Rev 10:262-88
Myerson, J; Hale, S; Rhee, S H et al. (1999) Selective interference with verbal and spatial working memory in young and older adults. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 54:P161-4
Myerson, J; Hale, S; Chen, J et al. (1997) General lexical slowing and the semantic priming effect: the roles of age and ability. Acta Psychol (Amst) 96:83-101
Hale, S; Myerson, J; Faust, M et al. (1995) Converging evidence for domain-specific slowing from multiple nonlexical tasks and multiple analytic methods. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 50:P202-11
Myerson, J; Wagstaff, D; Hale, S (1994) Brinley plots, explained variance, and the analysis of age differences in response latencies. J Gerontol 49:P72-80
Cerella, J; Hale, S (1994) The rise and fall in information-processing rates over the life span. Acta Psychol (Amst) 86:109-97