Education does not protect against age-related decline of switching focal attention in working memory

P.W.M. van Gerven; W.A. Meijer; J. Jolles

doi:10.1016/j.bandc.2007.02.005

Education does not protect against age-related decline of switching focal attention in working memory

P.W.M. van Gerven^*, W.A. Meijer, J. Jolles

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

In this experimental study, effects of age and education on switching focal attention in working memory were investigated among 44 young (20-30 years) and 40 middle-aged individuals (50 60 years). To this end, a numeric n-back task comprising two lag conditions (land 2-back) was administered within groups. The results revealed a comparable increase of reaction time as a function of lag across age groups, but a disproportionate decrease of accuracy in the middle-aged relative to the young group. The latter effect did not interact with education, which challenges the cognitive reserve hypothesis. Moreover, the high-educated middle-aged participants showed a greater increase of reaction time as a function of lag than their low-educated counterparts. Apparently, they were not able to sustain their relatively high response speed across conditions. These results suggest that education does not protect against age-related decline of switching focal attention in working memory.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	158-163
Journal	Brain and Cognition
Volume	64
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bandc.2007.02.005
Publication status	Published - 1 Jan 2007

Access to Document

10.1016/j.bandc.2007.02.005

Cite this

@article{e20a31731211461896e21af6c618692a,

title = "Education does not protect against age-related decline of switching focal attention in working memory",

abstract = "In this experimental study, effects of age and education on switching focal attention in working memory were investigated among 44 young (20-30 years) and 40 middle-aged individuals (50 60 years). To this end, a numeric n-back task comprising two lag conditions (land 2-back) was administered within groups. The results revealed a comparable increase of reaction time as a function of lag across age groups, but a disproportionate decrease of accuracy in the middle-aged relative to the young group. The latter effect did not interact with education, which challenges the cognitive reserve hypothesis. Moreover, the high-educated middle-aged participants showed a greater increase of reaction time as a function of lag than their low-educated counterparts. Apparently, they were not able to sustain their relatively high response speed across conditions. These results suggest that education does not protect against age-related decline of switching focal attention in working memory. ",

author = "{van Gerven}, P.W.M. and W.A. Meijer and J. Jolles",

year = "2007",

month = jan,

day = "1",

doi = "10.1016/j.bandc.2007.02.005",

language = "English",

volume = "64",

pages = "158--163",

journal = "Brain and Cognition",

issn = "0278-2626",

publisher = "Elsevier Science",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Education does not protect against age-related decline of switching focal attention in working memory

AU - van Gerven, P.W.M.

AU - Meijer, W.A.

AU - Jolles, J.

PY - 2007/1/1

Y1 - 2007/1/1

N2 - In this experimental study, effects of age and education on switching focal attention in working memory were investigated among 44 young (20-30 years) and 40 middle-aged individuals (50 60 years). To this end, a numeric n-back task comprising two lag conditions (land 2-back) was administered within groups. The results revealed a comparable increase of reaction time as a function of lag across age groups, but a disproportionate decrease of accuracy in the middle-aged relative to the young group. The latter effect did not interact with education, which challenges the cognitive reserve hypothesis. Moreover, the high-educated middle-aged participants showed a greater increase of reaction time as a function of lag than their low-educated counterparts. Apparently, they were not able to sustain their relatively high response speed across conditions. These results suggest that education does not protect against age-related decline of switching focal attention in working memory.

AB - In this experimental study, effects of age and education on switching focal attention in working memory were investigated among 44 young (20-30 years) and 40 middle-aged individuals (50 60 years). To this end, a numeric n-back task comprising two lag conditions (land 2-back) was administered within groups. The results revealed a comparable increase of reaction time as a function of lag across age groups, but a disproportionate decrease of accuracy in the middle-aged relative to the young group. The latter effect did not interact with education, which challenges the cognitive reserve hypothesis. Moreover, the high-educated middle-aged participants showed a greater increase of reaction time as a function of lag than their low-educated counterparts. Apparently, they were not able to sustain their relatively high response speed across conditions. These results suggest that education does not protect against age-related decline of switching focal attention in working memory.

U2 - 10.1016/j.bandc.2007.02.005

DO - 10.1016/j.bandc.2007.02.005

M3 - Article

C2 - 17397977

SN - 0278-2626

VL - 64

SP - 158

EP - 163

JO - Brain and Cognition

JF - Brain and Cognition

ER -