Performance in auditory and visual emotional stroop tasks: a comparison of older and younger adults.
Research has shown age-related declines in the cognitive ability to inhibit irrelevant information. Thirty-six younger adults (mean age = 22 years) and 36 older adults (mean age = 74 years) performed 2 versions of an emotional Stroop task. In one, they made lexical decisions to emotion words spoken in 1 of several tones of voice. Latencies were longer for test words spoken in an incongruent tone of voice, but only for older adults. In another, words were displayed on a computer screen in a colored font, and participants quickly named the font color. Latencies were longer for test words high on arousal, but only for older adults. Results are discussed in terms of inhibitory cognitive processes, attention, and theories of emotional development.
Wurm
Lee H
LH
Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA. lee.wurm@wayne.edu
Labouvie-Vief
Gisela
G
Aycock
Joanna
J
Rebucal
Kristine A
KA
Koch
Heather E
HE
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D001143:Arousal; D001245:Association Learning; D001288:Attention; D003118:Color Perception; D004193:Discrimination Learning; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010470:Perceptual Masking; D011930:Reaction Time; D011932:Reading; D012660:Semantics; D012718:Set, Psychology; D013061:Speech Acoustics; D013067:Speech Perception; D014706:Verbal Learning