Open AccessEffects of Time of Day on Age Differences in Working Memory
Author(s) -
Robert West,
Kelly J. Murphy,
Maria L. Armilio,
Fergus I. M. Craik,
Donald T. Stuss
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
the journals of gerontology series b
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.578
H-Index - 150
eISSN - 1758-5368
pISSN - 1079-5014
DOI - 10.1093/geronb/57.1.p3
Subject(s) - alertness , evening , morning , working memory , psychology , audiology , arousal , young adult , age groups , developmental psychology , medicine , demography , cognition , psychiatry , sociology , astronomy , neuroscience , physics
This study investigated the hypothesis that the influence of time of day on the efficiency of working memory is greater for older than younger adults. Groups of younger and older adults performed a working memory task on 4 consecutive days, twice in the morning and twice in the evening. Objective (body temperature) and subjective (alertness ratings) measures of arousal were taken during each session. Temperature increased across the day equally for younger and older adults, whereas alertness ratings were higher in the morning for older adults and in the evening for younger adults. The efficiency of the access and deletion functions paralleled the subjective alertness rating for younger and older adults, and age-related differences in these functions were greater when individuals were tested at nonoptimal times of day. The efficiency of the response inhibition function was similar for younger and older adults and paralleled changes in body temperature.
Accelerating Research
Robert Robinson Avenue,
Oxford Science Park, Oxford
OX4 4GP, United Kingdom
Address
John Eccles HouseRobert Robinson Avenue,
Oxford Science Park, Oxford
OX4 4GP, United Kingdom