scholarly journals Revealing similarities in the perceptual span of young and older Chinese readers

2020 ◽  
Vol 73 (8) ◽  
pp. 1189-1205
Author(s):  
Fang Xie ◽  
Victoria A McGowan ◽  
Min Chang ◽  
Lin Li ◽  
Sarah J White ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Age Groups ◽  
Aging Effects ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Perceptual Span ◽  
Older Adulthood ◽  
Narrow Region ◽  
Sentence Reading ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Similar Character ◽  
Older Chinese

Older readers (aged 65+ years) of both alphabetic languages and character-based languages like Chinese read more slowly than their younger counterparts (aged 18–30 years). A possible explanation for this slowdown is that, due to age-related visual and cognitive declines, older readers have a smaller perceptual span and so acquire less information on each fixational pause. However, although aging effects on the perceptual span have been investigated for alphabetic languages, no such studies have been reported to date for character-based languages like Chinese. Accordingly, we investigated this issue in three experiments that used different gaze-contingent moving window paradigms to assess the perceptual span of young and older Chinese readers. In these experiments, text was shown either entirely as normal or normal only within a narrow region (window) comprising either the fixated word, the fixated word, and one word to its left, or the fixated word and either one or two words to its right. Characters outside these windows were replaced using a pattern mask (Experiment 1) or a visually similar character (Experiment 2), or blurred to render them unidentifiable (Experiment 3). Sentence reading times were overall longer for the older compared with the younger adults and differed systematically across display conditions. Crucially, however, the effects of display condition were essentially the same across the two age groups, indicating that the perceptual span for Chinese does not differ substantially for the older and young adults. We discuss these findings in relation to other evidence suggesting the perceptual span is preserved in older adulthood.

Age Differences in Eye Movements During Reading: Degenerative Problems or Compensatory Strategy?

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 297-311
Author(s):  
José David Moreno ◽  
José A. León ◽  
Lorena A. M. Arnal ◽  
Juan Botella
Keyword(s):  
Eye Movements ◽  
Eye Movement ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Behavioral Changes ◽  
Aging Effects ◽  
Movement Data ◽  
Sentence Reading ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Eye Movements During Reading

Abstract. We report the results of a meta-analysis of 22 experiments comparing the eye movement data obtained from young ( Mage = 21 years) and old ( Mage = 73 years) readers. The data included six eye movement measures (mean gaze duration, mean fixation duration, total sentence reading time, mean number of fixations, mean number of regressions, and mean length of progressive saccade eye movements). Estimates were obtained of the typified mean difference, d, between the age groups in all six measures. The results showed positive combined effect size estimates in favor of the young adult group (between 0.54 and 3.66 in all measures), although the difference for the mean number of fixations was not significant. Young adults make in a systematic way, shorter gazes, fewer regressions, and shorter saccadic movements during reading than older adults, and they also read faster. The meta-analysis results confirm statistically the most common patterns observed in previous research; therefore, eye movements seem to be a useful tool to measure behavioral changes due to the aging process. Moreover, these results do not allow us to discard either of the two main hypotheses assessed for explaining the observed aging effects, namely neural degenerative problems and the adoption of compensatory strategies.

Sources of cognitive conflict and their relevance to Theory of Mind proficiency in healthy ageing. A preregistered study.

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Foyzul Rahman ◽  
Sabrina Javed ◽  
Ian Apperly ◽  
Peter Hansen ◽  
Carol Holland ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Theory Of Mind ◽  
Executive Control ◽  
Spatial Working Memory ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Response Speed ◽  
Cognitive Conflict ◽  
Mental States ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Outcome Knowledge

Age-related decline in Theory of Mind (ToM) may be due to waning executive control, which is necessary for resolving conflict when reasoning about others’ mental states. We assessed how older (OA; n=50) versus younger adults (YA; n=50) were affected by three theoretically relevant sources of conflict within ToM: competing Self-Other perspectives; competing cued locations and outcome knowledge. We examined which best accounted for age-related difficulty with ToM. Our data show unexpected similarity between age groups when representing a belief incongruent with one’s own. Individual differences in attention and motor response speed best explained the degree of conflict experienced through conflicting Self-Other perspectives. However, OAs were disproportionately affected by managing conflict between cued locations. Age and spatial working memory were most relevant for predicting the magnitude of conflict elicited by conflicting cued locations. We suggest that previous studies may have underestimated OA’s ToM proficiency by including unnecessary conflict in ToM tasks.

scholarly journals Are Gender Differences in Emotion Culturally Universal? Comparison of Emotional Intensity Between Chinese and German Samples

2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (6) ◽  
pp. 993-1005 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xianmin Gong ◽  
Natalie Wong ◽  
Dahua Wang
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Chinese Women ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Emotional Intensity ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Chinese Sample ◽  
Chinese Men ◽  
German Sample ◽  
Older Chinese

Are gender differences in emotion culturally universal? To answer this question, the current study compared gender differences in emotional arousal (intensity) ratings for negative and positive pictures from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS) across cultures (Chinese vs. German culture) and age (younger vs. older adults). The raters were 53 younger Germans (24 women), 53 older Germans (28 women), 300 younger Chinese (176 women), and 126 older Chinese (86 women). The results showed that gender differences in arousal ratings were moderated by culture and age: Chinese women reported higher arousal for both negative and positive pictures compared with Chinese men; German women reported higher arousal for negative pictures, but lower arousal for positive pictures compared with German men. Moreover, the gender differences were larger for older than younger adults in the Chinese sample but smaller for older than younger adults in the German sample. The results indicated that gender differences in self-report emotional intensity induced by pictorial stimuli were more consistent with gender norms and stereotypes (i.e., women being more emotional than men) in the Chinese sample, compared with the German sample, and that gender differences were not constant across age groups. The study revealed that gender differences in emotion are neither constant nor universal, and it highlighted the importance of taking culture and age into account.

Autobiographical Memory Specificity Predicts Social Problem-Solving Ability in Old and Young Adults

2007 ◽  
Vol 60 (9) ◽  
pp. 1275-1288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda Beaman ◽  
Dolores Pushkar ◽  
Sarah Etezadi ◽  
Dorothea Bye ◽  
Michael Conway
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Autobiographical Memory ◽  
Social Problem ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Social Problem Solving ◽  
Cued Recall ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Memory Specificity ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Problem Solving Task

Based on recent research with young, depressed adults, age-related cognitive declines and decreased autobiographical specificity were hypothesized to predict poorer social problem-solving ability in older than in younger healthy adults. Priming autobiographical memory (ABM) was hypothesized to improve social problem-solving performance for older adults. Subsequent to cognitive tests, old and young participants’ specific ABMs were tested using a cued recall task, followed by a social problem-solving task. The order of the tasks was counterbalanced to test for a priming effect. Autobiographical specificity was related to cognitive ability and predicted social problem-solving ability for both age groups. However, priming of ABM did not improve social problem-solving ability for older or younger adults. This study provides support for the hypothesis that autobiographical memory serves a directive function across the life-span.

scholarly journals Aging Effects on Esophageal Transit Time in the Upright Position During Videofluoroscopy

2020 ◽  
Vol 129 (6) ◽  
pp. 618-624
Author(s):  
Kendrea L. (Focht) Garand ◽  
Lindsey Culp ◽  
Bin Wang ◽  
Kate Davidson ◽  
Bonnie Martin-Harris
Keyword(s):  
Age Groups ◽  
Normative Values ◽  
Barium Swallow ◽  
Aging Effects ◽  
Esophageal Function ◽  
Modified Barium Swallow ◽  
Esophageal Transit ◽  
Esophageal Clearance ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Modified Barium Swallow Study

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine age-related effects on esophageal transit times (ETT) among healthy adult participants. Methods: A total of 175 healthy, non-dysphagic participants underwent a modified barium swallow study (MBSS), and ETT was recorded for two standardized swallowing tasks. Differences across age groups were determined using Kruskal–Wallis test. Relationships between an Esophageal Clearance (Modified Barium Swallow Impairment Profile Component 17) score and ETT were also explored. Results: No significant differences were observed in ETT across age groups for nectar-thickened liquid ( P = .335) or pudding ( P = .231) consistencies. No significant differences were observed between males and females in ETT for either the nectar ( P = .112) or pudding trial ( P = .817). For nectar, the mean ETT for patients with Component 17 scores of 2 or greater were significantly higher than that of participants with a score of 0 ( P < .0001). For pudding, participants with a score >0 demonstrated significantly higher mean ETT compared to participants with a score of 0 (with P = .0008 and P < .0001, respectively). Conclusion: Study findings failed to support age-related or sex-related differences in ETT for two standardized swallowing tasks administered during a MBSS in healthy individuals. The normative values following a standardized protocol in this study provide guidance in clinical interpretation of esophageal function.

scholarly journals ANGER, LOVE, SADNESS: DO EMOTION WORDS HAVE THE SAME SEMANTIC MEANING ACROSS AGE-GROUPS?

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S841-S842
Author(s):  
Madeline J Nichols ◽  
Jennifer A Bellingtier ◽  
Frances Buttelmann
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Age Differences ◽  
Language Use ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Semantic Meaning ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Emotion Words ◽  
Emotion Word ◽  
Age Related

Abstract Every day we use emotion words to describe our experiences, but past research finds that the meanings of these words can vary. Furthermore, historical shifts in language use and experiential knowledge of the emotions may contribute to age-differences in what these emotion words convey. We examined age-related differences in the valence, arousal, and expression connoted by the words anger, love, and sadness. We predicted age-related differences in the semantic meanings of the words would emerge such that older adults would more clearly differentiate the positivity/negativity of the words, whereas younger adults would report higher endorsement for the conveyed arousal and expression. Participants included American and German older adults (N=61; mean age=68.98) and younger adults (N=77; mean age=20.77). Using the GRID instrument (Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, 2013), they rated each emotion word for its valence, arousal, and expression when used by a speaker of the participant’s native language. Across emotions and dimensions, older adults were generally more moderate in their understanding of emotion words. For example, German older adults rated anger and sadness as suggesting the speaker felt less bad and more good than the younger adults. American older adults rated love as connoting the speaker felt more bad and less good than younger adults. Arousal ratings were higher for German younger, as opposed to older, adults. Cultural differences were most pronounced for sadness such that German participants gave more moderate answers than American participants. Overall, our research suggests that there are age-related differences in the understanding of emotion words.

Comprehension of Explicit and Implicit Warning Information in Younger and Older Adults

2001 ◽  
Vol 45 (20) ◽  
pp. 1474-1478
Author(s):  
Holly E. Hancock ◽  
Arthur D. Fisk ◽  
Wendy A. Rogers
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Text Comprehension ◽  
Safety Information ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Comprehensive Investigation ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Product Usage ◽  
Implicit Information ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Safe Product

Successful comprehension of warning text necessitates an ability to understand both explicitly stated safety information, as well as information about hazards and safe product usage that may be implied. Comprehension level for this type of text may vary across age groups as a function of normal age-related changes that may be experienced in memory and text comprehension in general. To date, there has been no comprehensive investigation of how well younger and older adults understand explicit and implicit information associated with actual product warnings. In the current study, 43 older and 42 younger adults read text from consumer product warnings and then rated the truth/falsity of statements containing information that was either explicitly stated or implied by the warnings. The results suggest both older and younger adults are able to recognize information that is explicitly associated with an actual product warning. However, they are less able to recognize information that can be inferred from warnings. These data also suggest that older adults perceive themselves to understand consumer warnings fairly well.

Age Affects Responses on the Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQ) by Adults with Minimal Audiometric Loss

2012 ◽  
Vol 23 (02) ◽  
pp. 081-091 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Banh ◽  
Gurjit Singh ◽  
M. Kathleen Pichora-Fuller
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Hearing Loss ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Clinically Normal ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Listening In Noise ◽  
Psychology Course

Background: Age-related declines in auditory and cognitive processing may contribute to the difficulties with listening in noise that are often reported by older adults. Such difficulties are reported even by those who have relatively good audiograms that could be considered “normal” for their age (ISO 7029-2000 [ISO, 2000]). The Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQ; Gatehouse and Noble, 2004) is a questionnaire developed to measure a listener's self-reported ability to hear in a variety of everyday situations, such as those that are challenging for older adults, and it can provide insights into the possible contributions of auditory and cognitive factors to their listening difficulties. The SSQ has been shown to be a sensitive and reliable questionnaire to detect benefits associated with the use of different hearing technologies and potentially other forms of intervention. Establishing how age-matched listeners with audiograms “normal” for their age rate the items on the SSQ could enable an extension of its use in audiological assessment and in setting rehabilitative goals. Purpose: The main purpose of this study was to investigate how younger and older adults who passed audiometric screening and who had thresholds considered to be “normal” for their age responded on the SSQ. It was also of interest to compare these results to those reported previously for older listeners with hearing loss in an attempt to tease out the relative effects of age and hearing loss. Study Sample: The SSQ was administered to 48 younger (mean age = 19 yr; SD = 1.0) and 48 older (mean age = 70 yr, SD = 4.1) adults with clinically normal audiometric thresholds below 4 kHz. The younger adults were recruited through an introductory psychology course, and the older adults were volunteers from the local community. Data Collection and Analysis: Both age groups completed the SSQ. The differences between the groups were analyzed. Correlations were used to compare the pattern of results across items for the two age groups in the present study and to assess the relationship between SSQ scores and objective measures of hearing. Comparisons were also made to published results for older adults with hearing loss. Results: The pattern of reported difficulty across items was similar for both age groups, but younger adults had significantly higher scores than older adults on 42 of the 46 items. On average, younger adults scored 8.8 (SD = 0.6) out of 10 and older adults scored 7.7 (SD = 1.2) out of 10. By comparison, scores of 5.5 (SD = 1.9) have been reported for older adults (mean age = 71 yr, SD = 8.1) with moderate hearing loss (Gatehouse and Noble, 2004). Conclusions: By establishing the best scores that could reasonably be expected from younger and older adults with “normal” hearing thresholds, these results provide clinicians with information that should assist them in setting realistic targets for interventions for adults of different ages.

scholarly journals Age-Related Changes in Trabecular Meshwork Imaging

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark E. Gold ◽  
Seema Kansara ◽  
Kundandeep S. Nagi ◽  
Nicholas P. Bell ◽  
Lauren S. Blieden ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Trabecular Meshwork ◽  
Stepwise Regression ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Anterior Segment ◽  
Aging Effects ◽  
Interobserver Reproducibility ◽  
Shadow Area ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Physiologic Function ◽  
Length And Area

Purpose. To evaluate the normal aging effects on trabecular meshwork (TM) parameters using Fourier domain anterior segment optical coherence tomography (ASOCT) images.Patients and Methods. One eye from 45 participants with open angles was imaged. Two independent readers measured TM area, TM length, and area and length of the TM interface shadow from 3 age groups (18–40, 41–60, and 61–80). Measurements were compared using stepwise regression analysis.Results. The average TM parameters were 0.0487 (±0.0092) mm2for TM area, 0.5502 (±0.1033) mm for TM length, 0.1623 (±0.341) mm2for TM interface shadow area, and 0.7755 (±0.1574) mm for TM interface shadow length. Interobserver reproducibility coefficients ranged from 0.45 (TM length) to 0.82 (TM area). TM area and length were not correlated with age. While the TM interface shadow length did not correlate with age, the TM interface shadow area increased with age. Race, sex, intraocular pressure, and gonioscopy score were not correlated with any TM parameters.Conclusion. Although the TM measurements were not correlated with age, the TM interface shadow area increased with age. Further study is required to determine whether there is any relationship between the age-related ASOCT findings of the TM interface shadow area and physiologic function.

scholarly journals Giving vs. losing: age differences in decisions about charitable donations

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erika Sparrow
Keyword(s):  
Age Differences ◽  
Intertemporal Choice ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Healthy Older Adults ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Financial Decision ◽  
Gains And Losses ◽  
Effect Of Age ◽  
Related Increase

In addition to making decisions about gains and losses that affect only ourselves, often in life we make decisions that benefit others. Research on lifespan changes in motivation suggests that altruistic motives become stronger with age. However, few studies have explored the effect of age on decisions that affect others. The current study used a realistic financial decision making task involving choices for gains, losses, and donations. Each decision involved an intertemporal choice, in which the participant selected either a smaller-sooner or a larger-later option that could affect their bonus payout. Participants included 36 healthy younger adults (M = 25.1 years) and 36 healthy older adults (M = 70.4 years). Both age groups chose more larger-later donations than larger-later losses, but the magnitude of this effect was amplified in older relative to younger adults. These findings suggest that intertemporal choices may be sensitive to an age-related increase in altruistic motivation

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