scholarly journals Social Communication Across the Lifespan: The Influence of Empathy

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathrin Rothermich
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Communication ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Sensory Modality ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Communication Task ◽  
Lower Accuracy ◽  
Speaker Intentions ◽  
Effects Of Aging

Studies testing the effects of aging on social communication have mainly focused on one sensory modality, for example using written vignettes. In the current study, we examine the effect of healthy aging, empathy, and anxiety traits on a social communication task using video stimuli that reflect real-world interactions. By means of an online recruitment platform, we asked young, middle-aged, and older adults between the ages 18 and 76 (N=100) to evaluate videos of actors using different forms of literal and nonliteral language, such as sarcasm or teasing. The participants’ task was to infer the speakers’ belief and the speaker’s intention, and we also collected data on self-reported social anxiety levels and empathy. Older participants demonstrated lower accuracy in discriminating nonliteral from literal interactions compared to younger and middle-aged groups, while older adults with higher perspective-taking scores were more accurate at identifying teasing as nonliteral. This effect was partially mediated by empathy. When evaluating speaker intentions, older adults judged sarcasm as friendlier compared to literal negative utterances. Our results expand on age-related similarities and differences in evaluating speaker intentions and we discuss our results in the context of the Tinge Hypothesis.

scholarly journals Effects of aging on emotion recognition from dynamic multimodal expressions and vocalizations

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Diana S. Cortes ◽  
Christina Tornberg ◽  
Tanja Bänziger ◽  
Hillary Anger Elfenbein ◽  
Håkan Fischer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Emotion Recognition ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Group Differences ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Positivity Effect ◽  
Video Recordings ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Effects Of Aging

AbstractAge-related differences in emotion recognition have predominantly been investigated using static pictures of facial expressions, and positive emotions beyond happiness have rarely been included. The current study instead used dynamic facial and vocal stimuli, and included a wider than usual range of positive emotions. In Task 1, younger and older adults were tested for their abilities to recognize 12 emotions from brief video recordings presented in visual, auditory, and multimodal blocks. Task 2 assessed recognition of 18 emotions conveyed by non-linguistic vocalizations (e.g., laughter, sobs, and sighs). Results from both tasks showed that younger adults had significantly higher overall recognition rates than older adults. In Task 1, significant group differences (younger > older) were only observed for the auditory block (across all emotions), and for expressions of anger, irritation, and relief (across all presentation blocks). In Task 2, significant group differences were observed for 6 out of 9 positive, and 8 out of 9 negative emotions. Overall, results indicate that recognition of both positive and negative emotions show age-related differences. This suggests that the age-related positivity effect in emotion recognition may become less evident when dynamic emotional stimuli are used and happiness is not the only positive emotion under study.

Effects of aging and noncanonical form presentation on idiom processing: Evidence from eye tracking

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-27
Author(s):  
Katja I. Haeuser ◽  
Shari Baum ◽  
Debra Titone
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Eye Movements ◽  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Idiom Comprehension ◽  
First Pass ◽  
Effects Of Aging ◽  
Open Question ◽  
Idiom Processing ◽  
Noncanonical Form

Abstract Comprehending idioms (e.g., bite the bullet) requires that people appreciate their figurative meanings while suppressing literal interpretations of the phrase. While much is known about idioms, an open question is how healthy aging and noncanonical form presentation affect idiom comprehension when the task is to read sentences silently for comprehension. Here, younger and older adults read sentences containing idioms or literal phrases, while we monitored their eye movements. Idioms were presented in a canonical or a noncanonical form (e.g., bite the iron bullet). To assess whether people integrate figurative or literal interpretations of idioms, a disambiguating region that was figuratively or literally biased followed the idiom in each sentence. During early stages of reading, older adults showed facilitation for canonical idioms, suggesting a greater sensitivity to stored idiomatic forms. During later stages of reading, older adults showed slower reading times when canonical idioms were biased toward their literal interpretation, suggesting they were more likely to interpret idioms figuratively on the first pass. In contrast, noncanonical form presentation slowed comprehension of figurative meanings comparably in younger and older participants. We conclude that idioms may be more strongly entrenched in older adults, and that noncanonical form presentation slows comprehension of figurative meanings.

Effects of aging on entrainment and rate of resynchronization of circadian locomotor activity

1992 ◽  
Vol 263 (5) ◽  
pp. R1099-R1103 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. C. Zee ◽  
R. S. Rosenberg ◽  
F. W. Turek
Keyword(s):  
Circadian Rhythm ◽  
Locomotor Activity ◽  
Activity Rhythm ◽  
Phase Advance ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Free Running ◽  
Effects Of Aging ◽  
Free Running Period ◽  
Related Phase

The phase angle of entrainment of the circadian rhythm of the locomotor activity rhythm to a light-dark (LD) cycle was examined in young (2-5 mo old) and middle-aged (13-16 mo old) hamsters. An age-related phase advance in the onset of locomotor activity relative to lights off was seen during stable entrainment to a 14:10-h LD cycle. In addition, the effects of age on the rate of reentrainment of the circadian rhythm of locomotor activity were examined by subjecting young and middle-aged hamsters to either an 8-h advance or delay shift of the LD cycle. Middle-aged hamsters resynchronized more rapidly after a phase advance of the LD cycle than did young hamsters, whereas young hamsters were able to phase delay more rapidly than middle-aged hamsters. The age-related phase advance of activity onset under entrained conditions, and the alteration of responses in middle-aged hamsters reentraining to a phase-shifted LD cycle, may be due to the shortening of the free-running period of the circadian rhythm of locomotor activity with advancing age that has previously been observed in this species.

scholarly journals A-03 The Brain–Body Connection in Aging Neurological Populations: Examining the Impact of Exercise and Sedentary Behavior on Brain Structure and Cognitive Functioning in Older Adults with Multiple Sclerosis

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 776-776
Author(s):  
C Roman ◽  
P Arnett
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Sclerosis ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Graph Theory ◽  
Sedentary Behavior ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Moderate Activity ◽  
Subcortical Structures ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Age Related ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Objective Advancements in treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS) have led to an increase in the number of older adults living with the disease. Exercise has been shown to be remarkably beneficial for “healthy aging,” while sedentary behavior has proved to have more deleterious effects. Despite evidence for the impact of these factors, their influence on older adults with MS is largely unknown. The current study utilizes volumetric measures and graph theory to investigate the relationship between physical activity/sedentary behavior, structural brain indices, and cognition in older adults with MS. Method Twenty-seven older adults (55+) with MS were scanned during a structural MRI protocol and cognitively evaluated using the Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite and Symbol Digit Modalities Test. Graph theory metrics were calculated to examine white matter network properties. FreeSurfer was used to calculate volumes for subcortical structures. Exercise was quantified as the ‘days per week engaged in moderate activity,’ while sedentary behavior was measured as ‘hours per day sitting.’ Results Multiple regression interaction analyses were conducted. Results showed an exercise by age interaction, such that exercise protected against the negative effects of age on thalamic volume and assortivity. Hours sitting per day was shown to add to the negative effects of aging on structural networks even after controlling for exercise. Lastly, exercise was observed to be protective against age-related cognitive decline in this sample. Conclusions This is one of the first studies to examine exercise/sedentariness and brain indices in older adults with MS, pointing to possible brain altering and protective interventions for this group.

A model to assess age-related changes in two-point discrimination of plantar skin

1999 ◽  
Vol 89 (8) ◽  
pp. 383-391 ◽  
Author(s):  
W Lynch ◽  
J Mooney
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Statistical Analysis ◽  
Linear Relationship ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Discrimination Accuracy ◽  
Discrimination Ability ◽  
Fixed Distance ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Older Subjects ◽  
Age Related Changes

A device was constructed to assess two-point discrimination in the plantar skin of younger, middle-aged, and older adults. The device consisted of paired filaments, each delivering a tip force of 4.56 log units (equivalent to 3.63 g), at a fixed distance apart. Statistical analysis showed significant differences in two-point discrimination accuracy between these groups of subjects. Younger subjects showed greater accuracy of plantar two-point discrimination than either middle-aged or older subjects, with an apparent inverse linear relationship between subject age and plantar two-point discrimination ability. A model to assess age-related changes in two-point discrimination is presented.

Aging, Attention, and Bimanual Coordination

2002 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 549-557 ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy D. Lee ◽  
Laurie R. Wishart ◽  
Jason E. Murdoch
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Bimanual Coordination ◽  
Alternative Explanation ◽  
Digit Number ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Movement Frequency ◽  
Effects Of Aging ◽  
Coordination Patterns

ABSTRACTAlthough aging is normally associated with declines in motor performance, recent evidence suggests that older adults suffer no loss in some measures of bimanual coordination relative to younger adults. Two hypotheses for this finding were compared in the present research. One hypothesis was based on the assumption that these coordination patterns are automatic and relatively impervious to the effects of aging. An alternative explanation is that older adults maintain this level of bimanual coordination at a cost of increased attention demand. These hypotheses were tested in an experiment in which bimanual coordination patterns (in-phase and anti-phase) were paced at two metronome frequencies (1 and 2 Hz), either alone or together, with serial performance of an attention-demanding task (adding 3s to a two-digit number at a 1 Hz pace). The results of the study provided some support for both hypotheses. The automaticity view was supported only for the coordination patterns at the 1 Hz metronome frequency. Support for an attention allocation hypothesis was shown in the observed-movement frequency data, as older adults tended to sacrifice movement frequency at the 2 Hz metronome pace in order to maintain performance in the movement and counting tasks. These findings are discussed relative to recent accounts of the role of automaticity in the absence of age-related differences in the performance of cognitive tasks.

Language and Cognitive Aging

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lori E. James ◽  
Sara Anne Goring
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Aging ◽  
Language Production ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Theoretical Development ◽  
Language Performance ◽  
Contextual Processing ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Effects Of Aging

The questions of whether and why language processes change in healthy aging require complicated answers. Although comprehension appears to be more stable across adulthood than does production, there is evidence for age-related changes and also for constancy within both input and output components of language. Further, these changes can be considered at various levels of the language hierarchy, such as sensory input, words, sentences, and discourse. As concluded in several other comprehensive reviews, older adults’ language production ability declines much more noticeably than does their comprehension, presumably because comprehension is able to benefit from contextual processing in a way that production cannot. Specifically, lexical and orthographic retrieval become more difficult during normal aging, and these changes appear to represent the most noticeable age-related declines in language production. Some theories of age-related decline focus on global deterioration of cognitive function, whereas other theories predict changes in specific processes related to language function. Both types of theories have received empirical support as applied to language performance, although additional theoretical development is still needed to capture the patterns of effects. Further, in order to truly understand how cognitive aging impacts the ability to understand and produce language, it is necessary to examine how age-related shifts in goals, expertise, and compensatory strategies influence language processes. There are important implications of research on language and cognitive aging, in that language can play a role in physical health and psychological well-being. In summary, our review of the existing literature on language and cognitive aging supports previous claims that language ability is asymmetrically impacted by age, with smaller overall effects of aging on comprehension than production processes.

scholarly journals Age Moderates Perceived COVID-19 Disruption on Well-Being

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amy Knepple Carney ◽  
Allyson S Graf ◽  
Grace Hudson ◽  
Ellen Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Negative Affect ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Middle Aged ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Design And Methods

Abstract Background and Objectives It is not fully understood how large-scale events affect well-being. Older adults showed the highest levels of resilience following the September 11th (9/11) terrorist attacks, but during the severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak, there were no age-related differences in well-being. The current study examined the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) disruption on well-being throughout adulthood. Research Design and Methods Perceived stress and affect were examined in 166 community-dwelling adults (Mage = 35.65; SD = 15.53; range = 18–79) in relation to the perceived disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic to their lives. Results A significant moderation was found for age and COVID-19 disruption on perceived stress [F(5, 153) = 8.88, p < .05, R2 = .22] and negative affect [F(5, 154) = 4.91, p < .05, R2 = .14], but not for positive affect. For participants over 50, those who rated COVID-19 as a low or high disruption had similar scores on stress and negative affect, but with younger aged participants, perceiving high disruption corresponded with higher levels of stress and negative affect. Discussion and Implications Findings are consistent with the strength and vulnerability integration (SAVI) model, wherein older adults try to maintain positive emotional well-being, with middle-aged and older adults in the current study having experienced less negative impact on well-being. Middle-aged and older adults may be better able to regulate negative emotions from COVID-19 than younger adults. SAVI proposes a greater negative impact on older adults when they experience sustained stressors; as the challenges with COVID-19 continue, further data will need to be examined.

scholarly journals Greater BOLD Variability is Associated With Poorer Cognitive Function in an Adult Lifespan Sample

2020 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 562-574
Author(s):  
Maria A Boylan ◽  
Chris M Foster ◽  
Ekarin E Pongpipat ◽  
Christina E Webb ◽  
Karen M Rodrigue ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Blood Oxygenation ◽  
Functional Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Resonance Imaging ◽  
Adult Lifespan ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Oxygenation Level ◽  
Linear Slope ◽  
Subcortical Regions ◽  
Effects Of Aging

Abstract Moment-to-moment fluctuations in brain signal assessed by functional magnetic resonance imaging blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) variability is increasingly thought to represent important “signal” rather than measurement-related “noise.” Efforts to characterize BOLD variability in healthy aging have yielded mixed outcomes, demonstrating both age-related increases and decreases in BOLD variability and both detrimental and beneficial associations. Utilizing BOLD mean-squared-successive-differences (MSSD) during a digit n-back working memory (WM) task in a sample of healthy adults (aged 20–94 years; n = 171), we examined effects of aging on whole-brain 1) BOLD variability during task (mean condition MSSD across 0–2–3-4 back conditions), 2) BOLD variability modulation to incrementally increasing WM difficulty (linear slope from 0–2–3-4 back), and 3) the association of age-related differences in variability with in- and out-of-scanner WM performance. Widespread cortical and subcortical regions evidenced increased mean variability with increasing age, with no regions evidencing age-related decrease in variability. Additionally, posterior cingulate/precuneus exhibited increased variability to WM difficulty. Notably, both age-related increases in BOLD variability were associated with significantly poorer WM performance in all but the oldest adults. These findings lend support to the growing corpus suggesting that brain-signal variability is altered in healthy aging; specifically, in this adult lifespan sample, BOLD-variability increased with age and was detrimental to cognitive performance.

scholarly journals Age-related Neural Changes during Memory Conjunction Errors

2010 ◽  
Vol 22 (7) ◽  
pp. 1348-1361 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly S. Giovanello ◽  
Elizabeth A. Kensinger ◽  
Alana T. Wong ◽  
Daniel L. Schacter
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Healthy Aging ◽  
Parahippocampal Gyrus ◽  
Neural Basis ◽  
Laboratory Procedure ◽  
Conjunction Errors ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Memory Distortions ◽  
Memory Conjunction Errors

Human behavioral studies demonstrate that healthy aging is often accompanied by increases in memory distortions or errors. Here we used event-related fMRI to examine the neural basis of age-related memory distortions. We used the memory conjunction error paradigm, a laboratory procedure known to elicit high levels of memory errors. For older adults, right parahippocampal gyrus showed significantly greater activity during false than during accurate retrieval. We observed no regions in which activity was greater during false than during accurate retrieval for young adults. Young adults, however, showed significantly greater activity than old adults during accurate retrieval in right hippocampus. By contrast, older adults demonstrated greater activity than young adults during accurate retrieval in right inferior and middle prefrontal cortex. These data are consistent with the notion that age-related memory conjunction errors arise from dysfunction of hippocampal system mechanisms, rather than impairments in frontally mediated monitoring processes.

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