Old high performers reach a Stroop performance level comparable to middle-aged or even young adults¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · associational r2 · q3
Currency · newest study 2020 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person · overdue for a recheck since 2025: baselines and conditions change

Subclaims¶

q3 i? In Block 3 accuracy, old high performers did not differ significantly from young adults, while all groups outperformed old low performers. → Patrick D. Gajewski 2020 q3 i? In the paper Stroop interference list, middle-aged adults did not differ from old high performers. → Patrick D. Gajewski 2020 (2)

Evidence¶

Patrick D. Gajewski 2020¶

Patrick D. Gajewski, Michael Falkenstein, Sven Th€ones, Edmund Wascher. (2020). Stroop task performance across the lifespan: High cognitive reserve in older age is associated with enhanced proactive and reactive interference control. NeuroImage 207 (2020) 116430. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116430

q3 · i? · associational · r2

Bonferroni-corrected post-hoc tests on incongruent-minus-congruent error differences in Block 3 of the PC-based Stroop task. "no difference between YA vs. OH was found" while "all groups outperformed OL", indicating old high performers matched young adults in accuracy under high interference.

"accuracy in the mixed block (Block 3) was higher in YA vs. MA ( p < .01), YA vs. OM ( p < .0001), YA vs. OL ( p < .0001) but no difference between YA vs. OH was found ( p > .05). OH accuracy was higher compared to OM ( p < .05) and all groups outperformed OL (all p's < 0.001)."

Patrick D. Gajewski 2020 (2)¶

Patrick D. Gajewski, Michael Falkenstein, Sven Th€ones, Edmund Wascher. (2020). Stroop task performance across the lifespan: High cognitive reserve in older age is associated with enhanced proactive and reactive interference control. NeuroImage 207 (2020) 116430. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116430

q3 · i? · associational · r2

Post-hoc comparisons in the paper-and-pencil Stroop interference list (part 3) confirmed the computer-based group pattern: "MA did not differ from OH", while old low performers were slower than all other groups except old middle performers.

"MA did not differ from OH ( p > .05), but performed faster than OM and OL ( p < .001). OL performance was lower than all other groups' (all p's < 0.001) except OM ( p > .05)."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Executive-control tasks discriminate old performance groups while speed, attention and memory tests show less consistent or no differences — related
• High performance in old age is associated with higher education, foreign language use and IQ, but not physical activity or personality — related
• Interference control declines with increasing age and increasing Stroop task difficulty in speed, consistency and accuracy — a broader claim this one bears on
• Low working memory span individuals are more affected by Stroop task lapses and report more task-related mind-wandering — related
• Old high performers show larger target-locked P2/N2 amplitudes than old low performers, exceeding middle-aged or young adults in some conditions — related
• Old high performers show larger CNV amplitudes than old middle and low performers, comparable to middle-aged and young adults — related