COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENTCOGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT

Does the brain “shrink” with age?Does the brain “shrink” with age? Does memory deteriorate with age?Does memory deteriorate with age? Can you “teach an old dog new tricks”?Can you “teach an old dog new tricks”? Does intelligence decline with age?Does intelligence decline with age?

Implications for:Implications for:• jobsjobs• educational opportunitieseducational opportunities• social statussocial status

Chapter 6: Attention and Perceptual Chapter 6: Attention and Perceptual ProcessingProcessing

Chapter 7: MemoryChapter 7: Memory Chapter 8: IntelligenceChapter 8: Intelligence Chapter 9: Social Cognition (pp. 317-334)Chapter 9: Social Cognition (pp. 317-334)

Attention and Perceptual Processing:Attention and Perceptual Processing:

The Information Processing ModelThe Information Processing Model

Basic tenets:Basic tenets:

1.1. We are active processors.We are active processors.

2.2. We process quantitative and qualitative We process quantitative and qualitative information.information.

3.3. Information is processed through a Information is processed through a series of stores or systems.series of stores or systems.

1st system: sensory memory1st system: sensory memory Brain’s door to outside world:Brain’s door to outside world:

New, incoming information first picked up:New, incoming information first picked up:• sounds, sights, smells, etc.sounds, sights, smells, etc.

Very fast but fleeting:Very fast but fleeting:• if not attended to, it vanishes from consciousnessif not attended to, it vanishes from consciousness

What determines what is attended to?What determines what is attended to? Attentional processes:Attentional processes:

selective attentionselective attention: what we attend to gets passed : what we attend to gets passed to the next store or system, what we don’t attend to to the next store or system, what we don’t attend to disappearsdisappears

important feature, as there is too much sensory important feature, as there is too much sensory input around usinput around us

Attentional processes (Cont’d):Attentional processes (Cont’d): selectivity determined by motivation, interest, selectivity determined by motivation, interest,

previous cues, state of mind, expectations, previous previous cues, state of mind, expectations, previous experience, etc.experience, etc.

divided attention:divided attention: ability to pay attention to more ability to pay attention to more than one thing at the same time, e.g. study and than one thing at the same time, e.g. study and listen to music. More common than we realize in listen to music. More common than we realize in daily life.daily life.

sustained attention:sustained attention: focus on task or object for a focus on task or object for a long time, e.g., waiting for appropriate highway sign long time, e.g., waiting for appropriate highway sign to appear.to appear.

switching attention:switching attention: back and forth between two or back and forth between two or more items, e.g., looking out the windshield, then more items, e.g., looking out the windshield, then the side mirrors, then the rearview mirror, back to the side mirrors, then the rearview mirror, back to the windshield.the windshield.

Some age differences found in complex tasks. Some age differences found in complex tasks. Practice helps, as well as cues.Practice helps, as well as cues.

Caveat:Caveat: most recent tests of attentional factors, and most recent tests of attentional factors, and

many other cognitive features, are done many other cognitive features, are done using stimuli on computer screens. Younger using stimuli on computer screens. Younger people much more used to computers.people much more used to computers.

The fitness factor:The fitness factor: older adults perform better if they exercise older adults perform better if they exercise

regularly.regularly.

Age differences in processingAge differences in processing:: Young adults more likely to exhibit the Young adults more likely to exhibit the

automatic attention responseautomatic attention response in in laboratory tasks.laboratory tasks.

This is when a previously learned This is when a previously learned stimulus automatically gets your stimulus automatically gets your attention, it “jumps out” at you from a attention, it “jumps out” at you from a jumble of other stimuli.jumble of other stimuli.

Possible explanation:Possible explanation: general slowing of neural transmissions in general slowing of neural transmissions in

older adults. This is known as:older adults. This is known as:

Age differences in processingAge differences in processing (Cont’d): (Cont’d): Speed of processingSpeed of processing::

in order to react to a stimulus, we must in order to react to a stimulus, we must process it first: what does it mean? Do we process it first: what does it mean? Do we need to respond? And if yes, how? And then need to respond? And if yes, how? And then produce the response. Attention and produce the response. Attention and memory involved.memory involved.

Speed of processing tested with Speed of processing tested with reaction reaction timetime tasks. Three types: tasks. Three types:

simple RT tasks: one stimulussimple RT tasks: one stimulus choice RT tasks: more than one stimuluschoice RT tasks: more than one stimulus complex RT tasks: many decisions for many complex RT tasks: many decisions for many

complex taskscomplex tasks

Age differences in processingAge differences in processing (Cont’d): (Cont’d): Simple:Simple:

older adults take longer on the cognitive step, not older adults take longer on the cognitive step, not on the motor step (response).on the motor step (response).

Choice:Choice: different Rs needed for each S. Older adults slower.different Rs needed for each S. Older adults slower.

Complex:Complex: e.g. driving. Older adults progressively worse as e.g. driving. Older adults progressively worse as

complexity increases.complexity increases. Possible causes of slower processing:Possible causes of slower processing:

changes in the neurons and synapses (neural changes in the neurons and synapses (neural circuits)circuits)

In everyday life, older adults have In everyday life, older adults have compensations: experience at a specific task compensations: experience at a specific task (see text: typists, race car drivers)(see text: typists, race car drivers)

Language Processing:Language Processing: Important for understanding information Important for understanding information

processing.processing. Language comprehension related to Language comprehension related to

sensory capabilities (hearing, vision)sensory capabilities (hearing, vision) Older adults have more difficulty whenOlder adults have more difficulty when

speed increasesspeed increases there is background noise or interfering there is background noise or interfering

soundssounds Importance of encoding for language Importance of encoding for language

processing: rich encoding: connecting a processing: rich encoding: connecting a word to other known words or facts.word to other known words or facts.

Language Processing (Cont’d):Language Processing (Cont’d): Because one’s language is so well Because one’s language is so well

encoded, no significant age differences encoded, no significant age differences have been found. Research results have been found. Research results sometimes conflicting.sometimes conflicting.

Read studies as examples forRead studies as examples for

comprehension, but no need to learncomprehension, but no need to learn

thoroughly.thoroughly.