Age and Sex Differences in Discrimination Learning and Transfer of Training

Nehrke, Milton F.

doi:10.1093/geronj/28.3.320

Cited by 16 publications

(13 citation statements)

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“…This impairment was evident as a deficit in performance in the middle (age 61–75) and oldest (age 76–90) groups relative to the youngest group (age 45–60). Our finding is consistent with prior studies that likewise demonstrated age-related impairments on 2-choice discrimination (eg, Nehrke, 1973; Roger, Keyes, & Fuller, 1976) and with studies suggesting age-related impairments in components of associative learning, such as retaining information about previously correct choices (eg, Fisk & Warr, 1998; Salthouse, 1994; Salthouse & Dunlosky, 1995). …”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

“…Some studies have shown an age-related deficit in ability to shift or generalize learning along a previously relevant stimulus dimension, such as shape or color (eg, Coppinger & Nehrke, 1972; Nehrke, 1973; Nehrke&Coppinger, 1971); others have found no age-related deficit in interdimensional shifting (eg, Robbins et al, 1998; Owen et al, 1991; Rabbitt& Lowe, 2000). Most of these studies have considered generalization tasks that involve presenting novel exemplars along a previously relevant dimension, rather than keeping the previously relevant features constant.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Learning and Generalization in Healthy Aging

Krishna

Moustafa

Eby

et al. 2012

Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology

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Damage to the hippocampal and frontostriatal systems can occur across the adult life span. As these 2systems are involved in learning processes, mild impairments of learning and generalization might be observed even in healthy aging. In this study, we examined both learning and generalization performance in 3 groups of older adults: young-older (ages 45–60), middle-older (ages 61–75), and oldest-older (ages 76–90).We used a simple computerized concurrent discrimination task in which the learning phase has demonstrated sensitivity to frontostriatal dysfunction, and the generalization phase to hippocampal damage. We found that age significantly affected initial learning performance, but generalization was spared in all but the oldest group, with some individuals still generalizing very well. This finding suggests that (a) learning abilities are affected in healthy aging (consistent with earlier reports of frontostriatal dysfunction in healthy aging) and (b) generalization deficit does not necessarily occur in early older age. We hypothesize that generalization deficits in some in the oldest group may be related to hippocampal pathology. Our data shed light on possible neural system dysfunction in healthy aging and Alzheimer disease.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Learning and Generalization in Healthy Aging

Krishna

Moustafa

Eby

et al. 2012

Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology

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“…The results of the three studies showed that there was no significant difference among elderly subjects, aged 55 years and older, in terms of the rate of solving either the R shift or the ED shift. Since the behavior of these subjects was similar to that observed in preschool children, Nehrke (1973) and Nehrke and Coppinger (1971) interpreted their findings as implying that these elderly subjects might be in transition from mediational sufficiency to mediational deficiency. Shanab and Qassim (1978) examined more closely the effect of aging on discrimination learning in three groups of Jordanian subjects aged 50-59, 60-69, and 70 years and older, and found that subjects aged 50-59 years, similarly to older children and young adults, solved the R shift faster than the ED shift.…”

mentioning

confidence: 67%

“…The question of whether developmental changes in discrimination learning behavior observed in subjects between preschool and college age continue in older sub-jects has only recently been investigated (Coppinger & Nehrke, 1972;Nehrke, 1973 ;Nehrke & Coppinger, 1971). The results of the three studies showed that there was no significant difference among elderly subjects, aged 55 years and older, in terms of the rate of solving either the R shift or the ED shift.…”

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confidence: 99%

Age and sex differences in discrimination learning

Shanab

McClure

1983

Bull. Psychon. Soc.

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The present study tested the hypothesis of a decreasing ontogenetic trend in the rate of learning a discrimination as a function of age. A three-phase optional shift design was employed. One hundred and twenty male and female subjects from three age groups, 50-59, 60-69, and 70 years and older, were tested. The results indicated that, with advancing age, more trials were required to meet the learning criterion in the initial and shift discrimination phases. Female subjects learned the initial discrimination significantly faster than did male subjects. Although subjects aged 70 years and older were less likely than those in the younger age groups to choose a reversal shift in the test phase, they chose the reversal and extradimensional shifts at comparable rates. The finding of a reversed ontogenetic trend as a function of age is discussed in terms of both the mediation and attention theories.

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“…The lack of difference in executing either shift at about age 5 is viewed as marking a transition period that reflects a progression from stimulus-bound responding to mediational responding. As Nehrke (1973) has recently suggested, conceptual shift behavior appears to develop from a stage which is dominated by mediationally deficient behavior to one in which mediationally proficient functioning becomes more prevalent.…”

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confidence: 97%

A comparison of reversal and extradimensional shifts in Jordanian children

Shanab

Yasin

1978

Bull. Psychon. Soc.

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Reversal (R) and extradimensional (ED) shifts were studied in a large Jordanian sample which included six age groups (4, 5, 6, 9, 10, and 11 years). No sex differences were found. Consistent with other findings based on American samples, a highly significant Age by Shift interaction effect was found, reflecting the ease of executing a R relative to an ED shift at a very young age and the reversal of this effect at about 9 years of age. The results provide further support for the Kendlers' two-stage mediational theory.The literature is replete with studies which have shown that, while rats and preschoolers solve an extradimensional (ED) shift faster than a reversal (R) shift, the opposite is true of older children and young adults (Kendler & Kendler, 1975). Moreover, children of approximately 5 years of age solve both shifts at comparable rates. In explaining these ontogenetic changes in problem-solving behavior, Kendler and Kendler (1962) proposed a dual-stage mediational model, according to which the behavior of rats and very young children is assumed to be under the control of specific external stimuli, whereas the behavior of older children and young adults is not governed by such a singleunit system. Instead, these subjects behave according to a mediational system in that they solve a discrimination task by utilizing conceptual mediational links between the overt response and the external stimulus. The lack of difference in executing either shift at about age 5 is viewed as marking a transition period that reflects a progression from stimulus-bound responding to mediational responding. As Nehrke (1973) has recently suggested, conceptual shift behavior appears to develop from a stage which is dominated by mediationally deficient behavior to one in which mediationally proficient functioning becomes more prevalent.Initially, the mandatory shift paradigm was used to investigate problem-solving behavior as reflected in discrimination learning in both humans and animals. According to this design, subjects are required to learn This research was carried out by the second author in partial fulfillment of his master's degree under the direction of the frrst author, who was on sabbatical leave at the University of Jordan, Department of Psychology, Amman, Jordan, during the 1975-1976 109to discriminate first between two stimuli that differ on two dimensions, with one dimension being arbitrarily designated as correct and the other as incorrect; then a shift in conditions is introduced (see Figure 1). In a R shift, the previously correct dimension continues to be correct but the previously correct cue in that dimension becomes incorrect. In an ED shift, the previously correct dimension becomes irrelevant and the previously Figure 1. mustration of the R-ED design.

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Age and Sex Differences in Discrimination Learning and Transfer of Training

Cited by 16 publications

References 0 publications

Learning and Generalization in Healthy Aging

Learning and Generalization in Healthy Aging

Age and sex differences in discrimination learning

A comparison of reversal and extradimensional shifts in Jordanian children

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