Adults show higher overall working memory accuracy than adolescents, and adults but not adolescents increase startle reactivity with load¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · causal r2 · q3 · i2 medium
Currency · newest study 2016 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person · overdue for a recheck since 2021: baselines and conditions change

Subclaims¶

q3 i2 Accuracy was higher in adults than adolescents (main effect of Group, ηp2 = .13). → Patel Nilam 2016 q3 i2 Adults showed increased startle as load increased from 1-back to 3-back, while adolescents showed no modulation by load (Load by Group, ηp2 = .072). → Patel Nilam 2016 (2)

Evidence¶

Patel Nilam 2016¶

Patel Nilam, Vytal Katherine, Pavletic Nevia, Stoodley Catherine, Pine Daniel S., Grillon Christian, Ernst Monique. (2016). Interaction of Threat and Verbal Working Memory in Adolescents. Psychophysiology. https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.12582

q3 · i2 · causal · r2

Main effects from the accuracy rANOVA in the 50-participant experiment. The article reports "main effects emerged for Group (F(1,48) = 6.84, p < .05, ηp2 = .13)" and states accuracy was higher in adults than adolescents, with accuracy decreasing as load increased.

"main effects emerged for Group (F(1,48) = 6.84, p < .05, ηp2 = .13), Condition (F(1,48) = 7.98, p < .01, ηp2 = .14), and Load (F(2,96) = 96.93, p < .001, ε = .89, ηp2 = .67)"

Patel Nilam 2016 (2)¶

Patel Nilam, Vytal Katherine, Pavletic Nevia, Stoodley Catherine, Pine Daniel S., Grillon Christian, Ernst Monique. (2016). Interaction of Threat and Verbal Working Memory in Adolescents. Psychophysiology. https://doi.org/10.1111/psyp.12582

q3 · i2 · causal · r2

Startle rANOVA interaction in the same experiment. The article reports the Load by Group interaction "indicated that adults showed an increased startle response as load increased from 1-back to 3-back, while adolescents showed no modulation by load" with ηp2 = .072.

"The Load by Group interaction (F(3,144) = 3.75, p < .05, ηp2 = .072) indicated that adults showed an increased startle response as load increased from 1-back to 3-back, while adolescents showed no modulation by load"

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• The threat-of-scream manipulation successfully induced sustained anxiety, with equivalent subjective and startle responses in adolescents and adults — related
• Anxiety-potentiated startle is greater during low- and medium-load tasks than during the high-load task in both age groups — related
• Threat of an aversive scream lowers verbal working memory accuracy at low and medium load but not at high load in both adolescents and adults — related
• Working memory performance increases from baseline to the first post-induction trial across all age groups and conditions, consistent with practice effects — related
• Reaction times are faster during threat than safe conditions only on the high-load (3-back) task, in both adolescents and adults — related
• Working memory load degrades discrimination accuracy and slows responses in youth — related
• No age differences emerge in how threat and cognitive load interact on working memory accuracy or reaction time — related