Title: Interference Resolution in the Elderly: Evidence Suggestive of Differences in Strategy on Measures of Prepotent Inhibition and Dual Task Processing
Abstract: ABSTRACT The ability to effectively resolve interference was investigated in young and elderly participants using a test of inhibition and a dual task measure. The tasks stressed the ability to suppress prepotent responding, and balance primary and secondary task demands, respectively. Successful performance on both measures hinged on the ability to minimize the distraction generated between competing aspects of each task. Increasing demands resulted in performance decrements despite titration for individual differences in span size and generalized slowing. These were more pronounced on the hardest condition of each task, especially in older participants. Furthermore, the nature of the decrements suggested the use of different strategies between groups. It is argued that a fundamental source of the age-associated variability in cognition is due to compromised ability to effectively resolve interference, and cannot be sufficiently explained by memory span differences or generalized slowing. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author would like to thank Susan Murtha, Mary Desrocher, Jill B. Rich, and Ellen Bialystok for useful comments on an earlier version of this manuscript. Notes an = 30 for the young and 28 for the elderly. bBased on Willshire, Kinsella, and Prior (1991) formula using the National Adult Reading Test. *Significant between groups comparison (p < .05). Significant within group comparisons (p < .05): §Memory Only errors greater than Memory and Inhibition errors; ✓Memory Only errors greater than No Memory and No Inhibition errors; ¤Inhibition Only errors greater than No Memory and No Inhibition errors. aInhibition Task, n = 26. bBrown-Petersen Task, n = 27. **p < .001. *p < .05.
Publication Year: 2006
Publication Date: 2006-12-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref', 'pubmed']
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Cited By Count: 7
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