Little age-related decline in attention and utilization of the previous information

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24730631
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Experimental psychology
• Research Institution: Shizuoka Eiwa Gakuin University
• Principal Investigator: HIBi Yuko 静岡英和学院大学, 人間社会学部, 准教授 (80550350)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 注意機能 / 加齢 / 事前情報の利用

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In cognitive functions, some decline by aging, but the other do not decline by aging. I focus on attentional system in cognition and the effect of the previous information on visual search. Search performance is enhanced if a salient target with a consistent feature is repeatedly presented in consecutive trials. These effects occur under unintentional control. And, performance is improved by knowledge about target features in intentional control. Previous studies suggest that knowledge-based intentional control of feature declines with aging, but unintentionally attentional focus on target feature is maintained in aging. I investigated whether these effects occur in older adults dependent on which attributes are stimulus or response. As a result, only older adults could not use the previous feature information both with simple response and with salient stimulus. However, they could use the previous information in knowledge-based intentional control even with only salient stimulus.

Free Research Field

実験心理学