Aging, Focus Switching, and Task Switching in a Continuous Calculation Task: Evidence Toward a New Working Memory Control Process

ABSTRACT

This study examined switching of the focus of attention in working memory in relation to global task switching in a continuous calculation task using two rules (midpoint and up-and-down) in a group of 25 younger adults and a group of 23 older adults. Age differences emerged in accuracy when participants worked on two strings simultaneously (necessitating a focus switch); focus switching did not interact with age in the response time domain. No age differences were obtained for global task switching. Ex-Gaussian decomposition showed a shift due to focus switching in all parameters, but a shift in leading edge only for task switching. The results suggest that task switching and focus switching rely on different processes, and that there is a specific age-related deficit in focus switching.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This research was supported by research grant AG11451 and AG16201. We thank Korena Onyper for assistance with data collection, and we acknowledge helpful discussions with John Cerella.

Notes

Washylyshyn, C., Verhaeghen, P., & Sliwinski, M. J. (2005). Aging and task switching: A meta-analysis. Manuscript submitted for publication.