ERIC Number: EJ1450110
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 7
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: EISSN-2056-7936
Spatiotemporal Predictions Guide Attention throughout the Adult Lifespan
Nir Shalev; Sage Boettcher; Anna C. Nobre
npj Science of Learning, v9 Article 70 2024
Older adults struggle with tasks requiring selective attention amidst distractions. Experimental observations about age-related decline have relied on visual search designs using static displays. However, natural environments often embed dynamic structures that afford proactive anticipation of task-relevant information. We investigate the capacity to benefit from spatiotemporal predictions across the adult lifespan. Participants (N = 300, aged 20--80) searched for multiple targets that faded in and out of displays among distractors. Half of the targets appeared at a fixed time and approximate location, whereas others appeared unpredictably. Overall search performance was reduced with age. Nevertheless, prediction-led behaviour, reflected in a higher detection of predictable targets, remained resistant to aging. Predictions were most pronounced when targets appeared in quick succession. When evaluating response speed, predictions were also significant but reduced with progressing age. While our findings confirm an age-related decline, we identified clear indications for proactive attentional guidance throughout adulthood.
Descriptors: Adults, Older Adults, Attention, Visual Stimuli, Aging (Individuals), Reaction Time, Predictor Variables
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A