Age differences in feature search as a function of exposure duration.
Older and younger observers searched for two targets embedded in response-compatible or -incompatible distractors. Display duration was varied across trial blocks from 26 to 1,664 ms. For both age groups, response-incompatible displays led to relatively poorer accuracy, particularly at brief durations. Age differences in accuracy were larger for response-incompatible displays and diminished at longer durations, an effect that was also revealed in the latency data. Results are interpreted within a continuous-flow conceptualization of visual processing and are consistent with the hypothesis that older adults are slowed in the feature extraction process that underlies visual search.
Harpur
L L
LL
University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Scialfa
C T
CT
Thomas
D M
DM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D003626:Data Display; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D011930:Reaction Time; D013997:Time Factors; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology