Experimental Aging Research

ISSN: 0361-073X (Print) 1096-4657 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/uear20

Age differences in perceptual style, selective

attention, and perceptual-motor reaction time

Paul E. Panek , Gerald V. Barrett , Harvey L. Sterns & Ralph A. Alexander

To cite this article: Paul E. Panek , Gerald V. Barrett , Harvey L. Sterns & Ralph A. Alexander
(1978) Age differences in perceptual style, selective attention, and perceptual-motor reaction
time, Experimental Aging Research, 4:5, 377-387, DOI: 10.1080/03610737808257162

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03610737808257162

Published online: 27 Sep 2007.

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 377

AGE DIFFERENCES IN PERCEPTUAL STYLE,

SELECTIVE ATTENTION, AND
PERCEPTUAL-MOTOR REACTION TIME

PAUL E. PANEK
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Department of Psychology
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, Illinois 61920
U.S.A.

and
GERALD V. BARRETT
HARVEY L. STERNS
RALPH A. ALEXANDER
Department of Psychology
and
Institutefor Life-Span Development and
Gerontology
The University ofAkron
Akron, Ohio 44325
U.S.A.

Panek, P.E., Barrett, G.V., Sterns, H.L.,& Alexander, R.A. Age differences in
perceptual style, selective attention, and perceptual-motor reaction time.
Experimental Aging Research, 1978, 4(5), 377-387. One hundred seventy-five
females ranging in age from 17 to 72 years, who were placed into one of seven age
groups, were administered tasks measuring perceptual style, selective attention,
simple choice, and complex reaction time. Multivariate and univariate analysis
indicated there were significant differences between the age groups for all dependent
measures. Trends manifest in the data suggest significant declines on the
investigated information-processing ability measures begin in the late-40’s. This
finding appears to indicate an over-all general decline on all information-processing
variables rather than selective drop-out of abilities. Theoretical and applied
implications of the results are discussed.

This research was partially supported by a grant from the Andrus Foundation. The author
would like to acknowledge the assistance of Bruce J. Avolio, Louis Forbringer, Mike Cam-
pion, and Diana Valasek, in data collection. Raw scores,means and standard deviations for all
subjects, and by group can be obtained upon request from the author.
 378 PANEK/BARRETT/STERNS/ALEXANDER

The aging literature indicates that ability to efficiently

process information from the environment decreases with age
(Botwinick, 1973; Layton, 1975; McFarland, 1968). This decline in
information processing ability is assumed to lead to the observed
performance decrements on laboratory tasks such as, reaction
time (Botwinick, 1971, 1972, 1973; Rabbitt, 1965; Welford, 1977) ;
selective attention (Broadbent & Heron, 1962; Clark & Knowles,
1973; Craik, 1965) ; and measures of perceptual styles (Comalli,
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1970; Kogan, 1973; Schwartz & Karp, 1967).

Though the developmental literature manifests substantial

support for age decrements in these abilities, there has been
little systematic research in which these variables have been
investigated ( 1 ) in the same study, and ( 2 ) for a number of ages
(data points) representing the adult life span. Therefore, the
purpose of the present investigation was to investigate simul-
taneously age differences in perceptual style, reaction time, and
selective attention for seven age groups; ranging from a mean
age of 21 years to a mean age of 68 years.

METHOD

Subjects

The subjects were 175 community-living female volunteers

from a large midwestern metropolitan area. Subjects ranged in
age from 17 to 72 years of age. Subjects were placed in seven age
groups of 25 on the basis of their chronological age as follows:
Group 1, age 17-24 years ( M = 21.20, S D = 1.74) ; Group 2 age 25-32
years (M=27.12, S D = 1 . 9 2 ) ; Group 3, age 33-40 years ( M ~ 3 3 5 . 3 2 ,
SD = 2.17) ; Group 4, age 41-48 years ( M = 44.04, S D = 2.88) ; Group
5, age 49-56 years ( M = 52.24, S D = 2.42) ; Group 6, age 57-64 years
(M=59.76, S D = 2 . 1 3 ) ; age Group 7, age 65-72 years (M=68.24,
S D = 2.57). Within each age group the mode for educational level
was high school graduate. Prior to participation subjects were
given a health questionnaire adapted from Shanas (1962) and all
subjects reported their health as good or excellent. Also, subjects
were all screened prior to experimental participation for hearing
 PERCEPTION, ATTENTION and REACTION TIME 379

and vision. Hearing ability was measured through a n air

conduction test using a Beltone 100; vision was measured with a
Bausch and Lomb Ortho-Rater. All subjects in the present
investigation were within the normal limits of hearing and
vision.

Procedure and A p p a r a t u s
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Perceptual style was measured by the Portable Rod and

Frame Test (Oltman, 1968) and the Group Embedded Figures
Test (Witkin, Oltman, Raskin, & Karp, 1971). Perceptual-motor
reaction time was measured by two levels of tasks: simple
choice reaction time, and complex reaction time. For both tasks,
subjects were seated in a simulated driver’s seat (Modified
American Automobile Association Reaction Timer with a Hunter
220 Clock Counter) with standard controls. Stimulus material
was projected from the rear of the subject onto a screen at the
subject’s eye level. Response latency was recorded on timers
accurate to W O O of a second. The stimuli for the simple choice
reaction time task consisted of four different signals - a green
left turn arrow, a red braking disc, a green turn right arrow, and
a yellow disc for a horn-blow response. Each stimulus was
presented six times in random order, to which the subject was to
respond appropriately. In the complex reaction time task, the
stimulus consisted of a photograph of a n actual driving scene in
which was embedded a signal or sign indicating that the subject
should respond in the same way as in the simple choice reaction
time task. For example, one photo contained a stop sign, in
which case, the correct response was to depress the brake pedal.
Each type of stimulus was presented eight times in the same
manner as in the simple choice reaction time task. Scores for all
perceptual-motor reaction time tasks were seconds to complete
the required response.

The Selective Attention Test was based on a test devised by

Gopher and Kahneman (1971) and was the same as used by
Mihal and Barrett (1976). The test consisted of 24 dichotic
messages in which different information was simultaneously
 380 PANEK/BARRETT/STERNS/ALEXANDER

presented to the subject’s two ears. In each message a tone

indicated which ear was relevant and was followed by 16 pairs of
items that were either single letters or digits from the set (0-9).
The subject’s task was to report all numbers heard in the
relevant ear immediately upon hearing them. The subject’s
score on this task was the total number of errors made on the
test.
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RESULTS

The means and standard deviations for the variables

investigated are presented in Table 1. A 7(groups) x 5(dependent
variables) multivariate analysis was conducted (UCLA version
BMD) . This analysis indicated there was a significant multivari-
ate between groups difference ( p <0.0001). Since the MANOVA
using all five dependent measures was significant, separate
univariate analysis of variance and tests for trend were
performed. A summary of these data is presented in Table 2

With regard to the Group Embedded Figures Test measure

of perceptual style, there was a significant difference between
the groups in terms of the number of figures missed or not
<
detected ( p 0.00). The test for trends indicated in a significant
linear trend ( p < 0,001).Newman-Keuls analysis carried out at
the 0.05 level of significance (note: all subsequent Newman-
Keuls reported were at the 0.05 level of significance) found the
means of groups 1 and 2 to be significantly different from groups
5, 6, and 7; and, group 7 was significantly different from all other
groups.

With regard to the Portable Rod and Frame Test measure of

perceptual style, results obtained indicate a significant differ-
ence between the groups in terms of the mean average degrees
< <
of deviation ( p 0.001) and a significant linear trend ( p 0.001).
Newman-Keuls analysis indicated groups 1, 2 to be significantly
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TABLE 1
Means and Standard Deviations for the Information-
Processing variables by Groupa

Variable Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Group 5 Group 6 Group 7

Group Embedded M 6.32 5.84 8.92 7.28 9.80 10.80 14.04

Figures Test,
Misses SD (4.86) (4.20) (5.51) (4.61) (4.36) (4.62) (3.34)

Portable Rod-and- M 6.45 5.08 10.42 7.72 10.12 13.45 14.76

Frame Test, Average
Degrees of Deviation SD (6.03) (5.80) (9.39) (8.18) (9.06) (10.02) (9.69)

Selective Attention M 36.24 33.48 41.28 34.76 48.72 59.80 78.96

Test, Total E r r o r s Fu
SD (50.35) (27.94) (26.86) (18.29) (36.56) (36.95) (42.54)

Simple Choice M 0.94 1.02 0.97 0.96 0.99 1.09 1.16

Reaction Time
SD (0.12) (0.35) (0.18) (0.17) (0.12) (0.20) (0.19)

Complex Reaction M 1.41 1.23 1.49 1.54 1.71 1.83 2.05

Time
SD (0.27) (0.38) (0.21) (0.04) (0.21) (0.26) (0.38)

W
a Note: n = 25 for each Group m
w
 382 PANEK/BARRETT/STERNS/ ALEXANDER

TABLE 2
Analysis of Variance and Test for Trends
for the Investigated Variable by Group

Source df MS F

Group Embedded 6,174 205.89 9.99* * *

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Figures Test
Linear Term 1,174 1029.72 49.96* * *

Portable Rod-and- 6,174 317.32 4.43* * *

Frame Test
Linear Term 6,174 1527.36 21.33* * *
Selective Attention 6,174 6944.86 5.47* * *
Test
Linear Term 1.174 31637.78 24.93* * *

Simple Choice 6,174 0.1375 3.88* * *

Reaction Time
Linear Term 1,174 0.60- 14.63* * *

Complex Reaction 6,174 0.25 5.73* * *

Time
Linear Term 1,174 0.64 14.93* * *
Quadratic Term 1,174 0.71 8.89* *

* * p <.01
***p<,.OOl

different from groups 6, 7; in addition, group 7 was significantly

different from group 4.

Analysis for the Selective Attention Test indicated a

significant difference between the groups in terms of total errors
<
( p 0.001). Trend analysis yielded a significant linear trend
( p < 0.001) Newman-Keuls analysis indicated groups 6 and 7
were significantly different from all other groups.
 PERCEPTION, ATTENTION and REACTION TIME 383

For simple choice reaction time, results indicated significant

<
differences between the groups ( p 0.001) ; trend analysis yields
<
a significant linear trend ( p 0.001). Newman-Keuls analysis
indicated group 7 was significantly different from all other
groups.

The analysis for complex reaction time indicated there was a

<
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significant difference between the groups ( p 0.001). Tests for

<
trend indicated a significant linear ( p 0.001) and a significant
<
quadratic trend ( p 0.01). Newman-Keuls analysis indicated
groups 2 and 7 to be significantly different from each other and
from all other groups; groups 1, 3, 4 were not significantly
different from each other, but were significantly different from
all other groups; and groups 5, 6 were not significantly different
from each other, but were significantly different from all other
groups.

DISCUSSION

The present study employed a cross-sectional design.

Therefore, it does not provide data on age changes, i.e., age and
generation differences a r e confounded (Baltes, 1968; Schaie,
1965). However, the findings have important implications for
different age cohorts.

The findings of the present investigation indicate that

specific abilities decline for older age groups and that the decline
becomes most evident during the late forties or early fifties. Only
simple choice reaction time did not follow this trend. The data
for complex reaction time is similar to data reported by several
investigators (e.g., Birren, 1965; Rabbitt, 1965; Welford, 1951,
1977) who have reported psychomotor slowing on complex
reaction time and/or perceptual-motor tasks from the forties
onward.
With regard to selective attention, current data support the
findings of previous cross-sectional research (e.g., Barrett,
Mihal, Panek, Sterns, & Alexander, 1977; Craik, 1965) which
 384 PANEK/BARRETT/STERNS/ALEXANDER

indicates that older individuals have more problems than

younger individuals with regard to the maintaining of attention.

Overall, the findings of the present investigation, with regard

to perceptual style, support those reported by previous research-
ers (e.g., Kogan, 1973; Schwartz & Karp, 1967); i.e., there was a
trend (or shift) from field-independence to field-dependence with
increasing age.
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All subjects in the present investigation were within normal

limits of hearing and/or vision. Therefore, differences in
perceptual style, reaction time, and ability to attend selectively
among young and old subjects cannot be dismissed readily as
findings which can be attributed to a decline in hearing and/or
vision. (While medical examinations were not given, all subjects
reported good health.)

The findings have implications for such “real-world”

situations as driving. Several investigators (e.g., Barrett,
Alexander & Forbes, 1977a; Harano, 1970; Mihal & Barrett, 1976;
Williams, 1972) have reported significant relationships between
automotive accident involvement and a n individual’s perceptual
style. In fact, Barrett and Thornton (1968) have suggested that
age-related changes in perceptual style appear to be similar to
age changes in the automobile accident curve. That is, the young
driver, up to the early twenties has less of the capacity and is
therefore termed field-dependent, while those over 65, again
show a decrease in perceptual style capacity in relationship to
those who a r e middle aged; the middle-aged tend to be more
field-independent as a group. This age-related difference in
perceptual style approximates the accident curve (young drivers
are involved in more accidents; then there is a decline in
accident rate after age 25 followed by a n increase in the rate
after age 65).

Using an auditory measure of selective attention, Gopher

and Kahneman (1971) successfully predicted flight proficiency in
a sample of Air Force flight cadets, As a n extension of that
 PERCEPTION, ATTENTION and REACTION TIME 385

research effort, Kahneman, Ben-Ishai, and Lotan (1973) were

able to predict accident involvement of professional bus drivers.
More recently, Mihal and Barrett (1976) and Barrett, et al.
(1977b) predicted the accident involvement of commercial
drivers for a utility company using a selective attention task.
These data are consistent with the notion that age differences in
selective attention may have important implications for the older
adult’s driving performance.
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Several investigators have attempted to link this complex

reaction time to the automobile driving situation, (Babarik, 1968;
Barrett, et al., 1977a; Fergenson, 1971; Mihal & Barrett, 1976).
Conceptually, the successful execution of the complex task of
driving an automobile is quite likely to consist of a set of skills
which are quite similar to those measured in complex reaction
time situations (Barrett, et al., 1977a), i.e., the subject must
make a decision as to the appropriate response to a stimulus
from an array of different stimuli. In the present study, complex
reaction time exhibited the earliest and most significant age
associated decline.

Findings of the present study confirm findings in previous

studies where only one or, at most, several variables have been
investigated with limited numbers of age groups. However, one
must be cautious in generalizing these results to both sexes
because men and women subjects were not employed. Further,
in interpreting group trends it is important to note that large
standard deviations for some measures indicate considerable
variability among individuals within age groups.

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Received September 16, 1977; accepted August 6, 1978.