Age-related differences in task-switching

• Main Authors: Chien Pei Wen., 溫千霈
• Other Authors: I. H. Shen
• Format: Others
• Published: 2012
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/35300235272100588066

碩士 === 長庚大學 === 職能治療學系 === 100 === Age-related changes in task switching across the lift span were assessed by collecting behavioral and electrophysiological data. Nineteen children (11.21 ± SD = .77), nineteen young adults (20.78 ± SD = 1.21) and nineteen elderly adults (63.92 ± SD = 2.44), were recruited in this study. Results showed that the reaction times in young adults were fastest among groups, and they had a high percentage of accuracy. The reaction times in children were faster than elderly adults but slower than young adults. Children had a high percentage of error. Elderly adults exhibited the slowest reaction times. The results revealed an inverted u-shaped developmental function in task switching. Regarding ERP waveform, in cue-locked window, children showed largest D-pos amplitudes among groups in anticipation and single conditions. These findings indicated that children needed more cognitive resource than young adults and elderly adults did in anticipation and single conditions. However, children and elderly adults showed larger early-CNV amplitudes than young adults in anticipation and pre-cuing conditions. Results indicated that children and elderly adults exhibited more activation to prepare for task execution. In stimulus-locked window, young adults and elderly adults showed enhanced P3b amplitudes during executing the simple tasks (repeat and congruent tasks), but showed smaller P3b when rule retrieval was required during executing difficult tasks (switch and incongruent tasks). Regarding P3b amplitues, no difference was found between switch and repeat trials in children. It seems plausible that children needed more cognition resource and executed both the switch task and repeat task the same as a new task; Elderly adults started to respond more early ; Young adults showed the best performance by use of efficient strategies. Our findings suggest that different strategies were adopted across children, young adults, and elderly adults.