title: Equating tasks and sustaining attention in children and adults: the methodological and theoretical utility of d' matching.
abstract: The present study develops a method to create task equivalency for children and adults in vigilance research. Experiment 1 employed the signal detection index of perceptual sensitivity (d') to calibrate vigilance tasks for 32 children (ages 7-8) and 32 adults. The results of Experiment 1 suggest that task equivalency across groups can be attained, and a vigilance decrement was observed for children. In Experiment 2, the task parameter of event rate was manipulated across two vigils. Again, 32 children (ages 7-8) and 32 adults participated. The results suggest that a reverse event rate effect emerged for both children and adults. In addition, developmental differences in response to the event rate manipulation and with respect to the vigilance decrement emerged: Children benefited less from the manipulation and were more likely to demonstrate a vigilance decrement than were adults. No developmental differences emerged for the sensitivity decrement. The results are explained with reference to how task demands interact with participant arousal, and implications for development and for future research are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, One Otterbein College, Westerville, OH 43081, USA. claurie-rose@otterbein.edu
authors.forename: Cynthia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Laurie-Rose
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bennett-Murphy
authors.forename: Lori M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Curtindale
authors.forename: Andrea L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Granger
authors.forename: Heidi B
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Walker
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001143:Arousal; D001288:Attention; D002648:Child; D003071:Cognition; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011584:Psychology / Q000379:methods*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D011930:Reaction Time; D017603:Signal Detection, Psychological; D014796:Visual Perception