title: Age differences in gain- and loss-motivated attention.
abstract: Adaptive gain theory (Aston-Jones & Cohen, 2005) suggests that the phasic release of norepinephrine (NE) to cortical areas reflects changes in the utility of ongoing tasks. In the context of aging, this theory raises interesting questions, given that the motivations of older adults differ from those of younger adults. According to socioemotional selectivity theory (Carstensen, Isaacowitz, & Charles, 1999), aging is associated with greater emphasis on emotion-regulation goals, leading older adults to prioritize positive over negative information. This suggests that the phasic release of NE in response to threatening stimuli may be diminished in older adults. In the present study, younger adults (aged 18-34years) and older adults (60-82years) completed the Attention Network Test (ANT), modified to include an incentive manipulation. A behavioral index of attentional alerting served as a marker of phasic arousal. For younger adults, this marker correlated with the effect of both gain and loss incentives on performance. For older adults, in contrast, the correlation between phasic arousal and incentive sensitivity held for gain incentives only. These findings suggest that the enlistment of phasic NE activity may be specific to approach-oriented motivation in older adults.
authors.affiliation: Ryerson University, 350 Victoria St, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada.
authors.forename: Ryan S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Ryerson University, 350 Victoria St, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada.
authors.forename: Anna Lena
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Biel
authors.affiliation: Ryerson University, 350 Victoria St, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada.
authors.forename: Benjamin J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Dyson
authors.affiliation: Ryerson University, 350 Victoria St, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada. Electronic address: jspaniol@psych.ryerson.ca.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Spaniol
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation / Q000502:physiology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Aging; Alerting; Attention Network Test; Incentives; Phasic arousal