Visual distraction impairs categorization in older adults but not younger adults, who perform equivalently without distraction¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · causal r1 · q2
Currency · newest study 2014 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? An age × condition interaction showed older adults were more susceptible to visual distraction during categorization, with no age difference in the plain condition. → Wais 2014 q2 i? An independent-samples t-test on the distractibility index showed categorization distractibility was greater for older than younger adults. → Wais 2014 (2)

Evidence¶

Wais 2014¶

Wais, P. E., and Gazzaley, A. (2014). Distractibility during retrieval of long-term memory: domain-general interference, neural networks and increased susceptibility in normal aging. Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00280

q2 · i? · causal · r1

Study of 19 younger and 20 older adults categorizing morphed prototype exemplars with an adaptive staircase in plain and distractor conditions. "older adults categorized with a significantly higher morph ratio in the distractor condition"; no effect size printed.

"Critically, comparisons between age groups showed no difference in performance in the plain condition, but older adults categorized with a significantly higher morph ratio in the distractor condition than did younger adults."

Wais 2014 (2)¶

Wais, P. E., and Gazzaley, A. (2014). Distractibility during retrieval of long-term memory: domain-general interference, neural networks and increased susceptibility in normal aging. Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00280

q2 · i? · review · r2

Distractibility index computed as distractor minus plain morph ratio per participant and compared between the 19 younger and 20 older adults. "distractibility during categorization was greater for older than younger adults"; no effect size printed.

"An independent samples t-test (assuming unequal variances) showed that distractibility during categorization was greater for older than younger adults."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Attention — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes

Related Claims¶

• Older adults show greater distractibility than younger adults during episodic retrieval of long-term memory details — related
• Irrelevant visual stimuli present during a memory test diminish the fidelity of episodic details retrieved from long-term memory in younger adults — related
• Older adults show performance decrements in divided-attention visual localization tasks, exacerbated by distractors and greater eccentricity, despite intact central-task performance — related
• Older adults show reduced accuracy in severe noise (SNR -5) but perform comparably to younger adults in quiet and moderate noise (SNR 20) — related