Authors:

Sarita Ahmad

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About Paper:

action-relevant information Co-Author(s): Dominik Grätz, Ulrich Mayr As humans age, we experience a slowing of cognitive processing due to the natural neuronal degeneration which is manifested in increased distractibility in older adults. Understanding 66 UNIVERSITY OF OREGON • 2023 UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM interactions between these individuals and their environment can help shed light on the relationship between perceived distractibility and atypical cognition. Does cognitive slowing cause an inability to retain attention or is environmental cue checking a rational response to natural slowing effects in the brain? To test this, we created an eye-tracking paradigm that simulates the attentional differences in older and younger adults within a single sample of participants aged 18-35. Participants complete as many trials as they can of a cognitive task, with monetary incentive. These tasks are changed at random throughout the block, so participants must check cues that tell them which they should be following, thus simulating distractibility. To simulate the difference between individuals with lower and higher cognitive processing speeds, the task is manipulated to increase response time in about half of the trials. The goal is to see if cue-checking rates increase when reaction times are slowed in individuals who have typical cognitive processing. If so, it would lead to the conclusion that the perceived distractibility of individuals with lower cognitive abilities may be adaptive, and not a fault. This is done in an attempt to understand the typical behaviors of those with attentional disorders.

Source:

University of Oregon / 2023

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No topics listed

Co-authors:

Sarita Ahmad