It is known that as age increases, some cognitive and physical abilities may deteriorate. In a longitudinal research study by Schaie and Willis, three targeted abilities, memory, reasoning, and speed of processing, have been shown to deteriorate with age, beginning on average in the mid-sixties (Schaie & Willis, 2013). One cognitively demanding task is driving. The elderly could find it difficult to perform adequately while driving because of their loss in cognitive ability. Many states have recognized this issue and adopted policies to address and combat negative consequences due to cognitive impairments such as age-related vision changes. For example, eleven states mandate that older drivers must renew their licenses in person; ages at which
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The sample consisted of 548 men and 543 women that attended school in Scotland were tested on cognitive and processing speed test. The purpose of this study was to show how processing speed, memory reasoning, and executive functions decline as age increases. Participants were tested with psychometric test and cognitive experiments were tested at 60 years old than 70 years old. The findings showed a decline in speed processing to be positively correlated with increasing …show more content…
Their goal was to find what to target in cognitive training. They used a sample of 266 drivers aged 70 to 88 years and were assessed on visual attention, processing speed, inhibition, reaction time, and task switching. Participants completed an on-road driving test. The data analysis showed that all error types increased with chronological age. This suggests that as one ages, their cognitive abilities will decrease. They also found that reaction time was not associated with driving error but that selective attention and task switching was associated with the most errors. In conclusion, they found that errors increase with age and are associated with speed, selective attention, and particularly stimuli in the periphery of the visual field. We believe that reaction time is related to driving skills and wish to further assess the previous finding. It is reasonable to hypothesize that driving skills such as stopping unexpectedly or deciding what to do at a yellow light are related to reaction time. The current study hopes to find a significant difference between age groups which will support our
The sample consisted of 548 men and 543 women that attended school in Scotland were tested on cognitive and processing speed test. The purpose of this study was to show how processing speed, memory reasoning, and executive functions decline as age increases. Participants were tested with psychometric test and cognitive experiments were tested at 60 years old than 70 years old. The findings showed a decline in speed processing to be positively correlated with increasing …show more content…
Their goal was to find what to target in cognitive training. They used a sample of 266 drivers aged 70 to 88 years and were assessed on visual attention, processing speed, inhibition, reaction time, and task switching. Participants completed an on-road driving test. The data analysis showed that all error types increased with chronological age. This suggests that as one ages, their cognitive abilities will decrease. They also found that reaction time was not associated with driving error but that selective attention and task switching was associated with the most errors. In conclusion, they found that errors increase with age and are associated with speed, selective attention, and particularly stimuli in the periphery of the visual field. We believe that reaction time is related to driving skills and wish to further assess the previous finding. It is reasonable to hypothesize that driving skills such as stopping unexpectedly or deciding what to do at a yellow light are related to reaction time. The current study hopes to find a significant difference between age groups which will support our