title: Age-related differences in acquisition of perceptual-motor skills: working memory as a mediator.
abstract: Aging is associated with reduced performance on information processing speed, memory, and executive functions tasks. Although older adults are also less apt in acquiring new perceptual-motor skills, it is unclear whether and how skill acquisition difficulties are associated with age-related general cognitive differences. We addressed this question by examining structural relations among measures of cognitive resources (working memory) and indices of perceptual-motor skill acquisition (pursuit rotor and mirror tracing) in 96 healthy adults aged 19-80 years of age. Three competing structural models were tested: a single (common) factor model, a dual correlated factors model, and a hierarchical dual-factor model. The third model provided the best fit to the data, indicating age differences in simple perceptual-motor skill are partially mediated by more complex abilities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI 48202, USA.
authors.forename: Kristen M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Kennedy
authors.forename: Ty
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Partridge
authors.forename: Naftali
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Raz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009048:Motor Skills / Q000502:physiology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D013037:Spatial Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult