Rational Distraction: Understanding the Adaptive Nature of Reliance on External Action-Relevant Information
| dc.contributor.advisor | Mayr, Ulrich | |
| dc.contributor.advisor | Graetz, Dominik | |
| dc.contributor.author | Ahmad, Sarita | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2023-09-26T21:03:33Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2023-09-26T21:03:33Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2023 | |
| dc.description | 20 pages | en_US |
| dc.description.abstract | As we age, we experience increased distractibility which has been suggested to lead to slowing of cognitive processing in older adults. Understanding the relationship between cognitive slowing and distractibility can help shed light on how humans interact with their environment across their lifespan. Is an increased dependence on external information (i.e. distractibility) a rational response to natural slowing effects of age? Based on the rational cue-checking model developed in our lab, we predict that more inspections of the environment (i.e. distractions) are relatively less costly to older adults, as their reaction times are slower. To test this, we created an eye-tracking paradigm that simulates response times between older and younger adults within a single sample of participants aged 18-35. Participants complete as many trials as they can of a cognitive task, with monetary incentive. These tasks are switched at random throughout the block, and participants must check task cues to know which task they should be following, thus simulating distractibility. To simulate the difference in response times between age groups within just younger adults, the task is manipulated to increase response time in about half of the blocks, thus replicating the age differences in reaction times. The goal is to identify if cue-checking rates increase when reaction times are slowed in individuals who have typical cognitive processing. If so, it would lead to the conclusion that the perceived distractibility of older adults may be a rational adaptation to slower cognitive processing. This research has implications for understanding those with slower cognition and adaptive behaviors they display. | en_US |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/1794/28907 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | en_US |
| dc.publisher | University of Oregon | en_US |
| dc.rights | Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0-US | en_US |
| dc.subject | distraction and aging | en_US |
| dc.subject | rational | en_US |
| dc.subject | aging | en_US |
| dc.subject | cognitive slowing | en_US |
| dc.title | Rational Distraction: Understanding the Adaptive Nature of Reliance on External Action-Relevant Information | en_US |
| dc.type | Thesis / Dissertation | en_US |