Age-Related Differences in Dual-Task Visual Search: Are Performance Gains Retained?

Batsakes, Peter J.; Fisk, Arthur D.

doi:10.1093/geronb/55.6.p332

Cited by 14 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…In this condition, both young and older adults in the training groups showed significant reductions in task-set cost, which was not observed for the control subjects. This is an important finding and suggests that dual-task skills were improved through training, and that learning entailed more than specific stimulus-response mappings (Batsakes & Fisk, 2000; Ho & Scialfa, 2002). However, it is also important to emphasize that dual-task costs did not show the same improvement in these cross-modality transfer conditions.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 72%

“…The transfer effects are important to show that dual-task skills improved through training, and that learning entailed more than specific stimulus-response mappings (Batsakes & Fisk, 2000; Ho & Scialfa, 2002). Many previous studies have found either very narrow transfer after cognitive training or have failed to observe any transfer from one task to another (e.g., Ball et al, 2002).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Transfer Effects in Task-Set Cost and Dual-Task Cost After Dual-Task Training in Older and Younger Adults: Further Evidence for Cognitive Plasticity in Attentional Control in Late Adulthood

Bherer

Kramer

Peterson

et al. 2008

Experimental Aging Research

220

200

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Older adults' difficulties in performing two tasks concurrently have been well documented (Kramer & Madden, 2008). It has been observed that the age-related differences in dual-task performance are larger when the two tasks require similar motor responses (Hartley, 2001) and that in some conditions older adults also show greater susceptibility than younger adults to input interference (Hein & Schubert, 2004). The authors recently observed that even when the two tasks require motor responses, both older and younger adults can learn to perform a visual discrimination task and an auditory discrimination task faster and more accurately (Bherer et al., 2005). In the present study, the authors extended this finding to a dual-task condition that involves two visual tasks requiring two motor responses. Older and younger adults completed a dual-task training program in which continuous individualized adaptive feedback was provided to enhance performance. The results indicate that, even with similar motor responses and two visual stimuli, both older and younger adults showed substantial gains in performance after training and that the improvement generalized to new task combinations involving new stimuli. These results suggest that dual-task skills can be substantially improved in older adults and that cognitive plasticity in attentional control is still possible in old age.Address correspondence to Louis Bherer, Department of Psychology, Université du, Québec à Montréal (UQÀ M), Case postale 8888, succursale Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec, Canada, H3C 3P8. bherer.louis@uqam.ca. NIH Public Access NIH-PA Author ManuscriptNIH-PA Author Manuscript NIH-PA Author ManuscriptIn the past few years, many studies have examined the effect of practice on dual-task performance in order to better understand the basic cognitive mechanisms underlying dualtask performance. Some researchers have observed large practice effects on dual-task performance but without evidence of parallel execution of concurrent tasks (Ruthruff, Johnston, & Van Selst, 2001). Others have reported that practice enables participants to perfectly share their attention between two concurrent tasks (Schumacher et al., 2001). Moreover, substantial interindividual differences in the ability to coordinate two tasks have been observed. In fact, Ruthruff, Van Selst, Johnston, and Remington (2006) showed evidence of parallel execution of concurrent task (bottleneck bypass) in some participants. Furthermore, a dual-task deficit is also frequently observed in older adults, a group that manifests larger interindividual variability than younger adults. Both types of evidence, practice effects in younger adults and age-related deficits in dual-task performance, suggest that dual-task performance relies upon attentional control strategies. This implies that training and learning an optimal strategy could help to improve dual-task performance (Meyer & Kieras, 1997).Several studies have shown that indeed dual-task training can lead to substantially enhanced performance in...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 72%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Transfer Effects in Task-Set Cost and Dual-Task Cost After Dual-Task Training in Older and Younger Adults: Further Evidence for Cognitive Plasticity in Attentional Control in Late Adulthood

Bherer

Kramer

Peterson

et al. 2008

Experimental Aging Research

220

200

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“…One important research issue in the field of cognitive training is the extent to which computerized cognitive stimulation training would lead to improved performance in tasks or situations that have not been specifically trained. Such transfer effects help demonstrate that dual‐task skills improved through training entail more than simple learning of task‐specific stimulus–response mappings. Among studies that used dual‐task training with older adults, some studies have reported significant transfer effects; however, others have not.…”

Section: Improving Dual‐task Performancementioning

confidence: 99%

Age‐related decline in divided‐attention: from theoretical lab research to practical real‐life situations

Fraser

Bherer

2013

WIRES Cognitive Science

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The purpose of this advanced review is to provide readers with an up-to-date synopsis of age-related changes in divided-attention abilities. An interdisciplinary approach is taken, supplying readers with evidence from very structured laboratory studies and findings from more ecological research studies that target real-life divided-attention situations (i.e., walking and talking). The review goes beyond the reported age-related declines in divided-attention abilities and offers the reader an overview of current cognitive (dual-task) training findings which suggest that these declines can be diminished with training. The contents of this review and the future directions proposed demonstrate that divided-attention research and its recent application to aging and mobility has become a major and fast growing scientific field of investigation. WIREs Cogn Sci 2013, 4:623-640. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1252 CONFLICT OF INTEREST: The authors have declared no conflicts of interest for this article. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.

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“…Navon and Miller (1987) suggested that dual-task costs in old age result from a limited capacity to organize and execute motor responses. Lack of flexibility in switching attentional resources between tasks (Kortling, 1991) and the proclivity for a conservative response bias (Batsakes & Fisk, 2000; Glass et al, 2000) were also offered as possible contributors to age-related decline in dual-task performance.…”

Section: Age-related Decline In Dual-task Performancementioning

confidence: 99%

Predicting Age-Related Dual-Task Effects With Individual Differences on Neuropsychological Tests.

Holtzer¹,

Stern²,

Rakitin³

2005

Neuropsychology

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This study examined the relation of dual-task performance to individual differences on neuropsychological tests. Neuropsychological test scores from 16 young and 16 older participants were simultaneously submitted to a factor analysis that yielded 2 factors (Attention/Executive and Memory) that differed by age and 2 (Motor Speed and Cognitive Status) that did not. Regression analyses revealed that these factors were significant predictors of performance on a delayed visual recognition task, but the relationship varied as a function of task condition. The Memory and Motor Speed factors were the strongest predictors of single-task performance, but the Attention/Executive factor was the most important predictor of dual-task performance. The authors conclude that compromised central executive may underlie age-related decline in dual-task performance.

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Age-Related Differences in Dual-Task Visual Search: Are Performance Gains Retained?

Cited by 14 publications

References 27 publications

Transfer Effects in Task-Set Cost and Dual-Task Cost After Dual-Task Training in Older and Younger Adults: Further Evidence for Cognitive Plasticity in Attentional Control in Late Adulthood

Transfer Effects in Task-Set Cost and Dual-Task Cost After Dual-Task Training in Older and Younger Adults: Further Evidence for Cognitive Plasticity in Attentional Control in Late Adulthood

Age‐related decline in divided‐attention: from theoretical lab research to practical real‐life situations

Predicting Age-Related Dual-Task Effects With Individual Differences on Neuropsychological Tests.

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