Information Processing in Older Versus Younger Adults: Accuracy Versus Speed

Younger adults generally perform better than older adults on memory tasks with reduced processing speed proposed as a mediating factor. However, processing speed often gets confounded with accuracy. To overcome this confound and quantify age-related changes in information processing speed, the current study used a specially developed computer program that held performance accuracy constant while measuring speed of processing. Twelve older (mean age = 77) and younger (mean age = 27) subjects participated in this study. Older subjects processed both visual (mean = 3860) and auditory (mean = 3400) information more slowly than did younger subjects (mean = 1680 and mean = 2070, respectively). No modality-specific differences in processing speed were present. Importantly, older subjects' mean accuracy levels were similar to that of younger subjects. These findings suggest that processing speed may be a critical determinant in working memory impairments in the elderly. However, individualized rates of information presentation could allow older subjects to perform as accurately as younger subjects.