Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-fscjk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-29T00:35:58.093Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Aging and the Response to Changes in Task Difficulty

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 November 2010

Robert Kerr
Affiliation:
University of Ottawa
Martha S. Teaffe
Affiliation:
University of Ottawa

Résumé

Un exercice de repérage de signaux discontinus a été employé pour évaluer le processus de planification du mouvement (relié aux paramètres de direction et d'amplitude) comme source du ralentissement de l'initiation et de la production du mouvement chez les personnes âgées. Les personnes âgées ont démontré des temps de réaction et de mouvement plus lents, cette lenteur variant en fonction de la quantité d'informations traitées pour accomplir le mouvement. Cependant, les personnes âgées ont semblé aussi capables que des individus plus jeunes de corriger des erreurs imprévues de mouvement. Les données suggèrent que, bien que le processus de sélection du mouvement puisse constituer un facteur qui contribue au ralentissement chez les personnes âgées, l'identification de paramètres spécifiques du mouvement peut s'avérer plus importante dans l'accomplissement de certains mouvements que les quelques déficits généralisés associés au vieillissement.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 1991

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Buck, L., Hyde, F., Leonardo, R., & Rennick, R.J. (1989). Operating manual for the NRC tracometer system, Mark 8. Technical Report TR-SYS-022. Ottawa: National Research Council.Google Scholar
Buck, L., Leonardo, R., & Hyde, F. (1981). Measuring impaired performance with the NRC stressalyser. Applied Ergonomics, 12, 231236.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cerrella, J., Poon, L.W., & Williams, D.M. (1980). Age and the complexity hypothesis. In Poon, L.W. (Ed.), Aging in the 1980's. Washington: American Psychological Association, 332340.Google Scholar
Fitts, P.M. (1954). The information capacity of the human motor system in controlling the amplitude of movement. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 47, 381391.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gottsdanker, R. (1980). Aging and the use of advance probability information. Journal of Motor Behavior, 12, 133143.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hyman, R. (1953). Stimulus information as a determinant of reaction time. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 45, 188196.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Larish, D.D. & Stelmach, G.E. (1982). Preprogramming, programming and reprogramming of aimed hand movements as a function of age. Journal of Motor Behavior, 14, 322340.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Megaw, E.D. (1972). Direction and extent uncertainty in step-input tracking. Journal of Motor Behavior, 2, 171186.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rabbitt, P.M.A. (1979). How old and young subjects monitor and control responses for accuracy and speed. British Journal of Psychology, 70, 305311.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rabbitt, P.M.A., & Birren, J.E. (1967). Age and response to sequences of repetitive and interruptive signals. Journal of Gerontology, 22, 143150.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stelmach, G.E., Goggin, N.L., & Amrhein, P.C. (1988). Aging and restructuring of precued movements. Psychology and Aging, 3, 151157.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stelmach, G.E., Goggin, N.L., & Garcia-Colera, A. (1987). Movement specification time with age. Experimental Aging Research, 13, 3946.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Welford, A.T. (1977). Motor performance. In Birren, J.E. and Schaie, K.W. (Eds.), Handbook of the Psychology of Aging (pp. 450496). New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.Google Scholar
Welford, A.T. (1983). Comment on the paper “preprogramming, programming and reprogramming of aimed hand movements as a function of age,” by D.D. Larish and L.E. Stelmach (1982). Journal of Motor Behavior, 15, 383385.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Welford, A.T. (1984). Between bodily changes and performance: Some possible reasons for slowing with age. Experimental Aging Research, 10, 7388.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed