The modulation of visual orienting reflexes across the lifespan

Abstract

The development of reflexive and voluntary shifts of visual attention, as well as relations between the two forms of shifting, were examined in three groups of children (5, 7, and 9 years old), one group of young adults (24 years old), and two groups of senior adults (young seniors with an average age of 69 years, and old seniors with an average age of 81 years). The task entailed response to the detection of a target (black dot) in one of four possible locations in the visual field. Relations between reflexive and voluntary shifts of attention were gauged by the degree to which flash and arrow facilitation and inhibition were observed in response to the presentation of both arrow and flash cues together in one trial. All age groups oriented reflexively in response to a flash cue and utilized the arrow cue to orient attention strategically. When flash and arrow cues were presented in quick succession and thereby competed for attention, the youngest children and oldest seniors were least efficient and flexible in their approach to the orienting task as they had difficulty modulating visual reflexes.

Try to look on the bright side: Children and adults can (sometimes) override their tendency to prioritize negative faces.

“…Consistent with the vigilance-decrement theory (Davies & Parasuraman, 1982), enacting a top-down goal that opposes prepotent tendencies requires cognitive effort and has limits: The positivity bias on the directed task weakened as trials progressed (reducing more for children than for adults) and not even adults executed perfect performance. These findings align with research showing advances between 3 and 9 years of age in attentional control on nonemotional tasks, for example, children’s ability to attend to the color versus shape or to avoid peripheral information (Astle, Nobre, & Scerif, 2012; Iarocci, Enns, Randolph, & Burack, 2009). …”

Development of endogenous orienting of attention in school-age children

“…With a method using combined nonpredictive peripheral and predictive central cues, Iarocci, Enns, Randolph, and Burack (2009) found that 5-yearold children had difficulties endogenously modulating exogenous (or reflexive) orienting compared to 7-and 9-year-old children, supposedly because they are less efficient and flexible in their approach to the orienting task. Ristic and Kingstone (2009) studied orienting development in 3-to 6-year-old children by first isolating and then combining endogenous and exogenous attention systems and found that both endogenous orienting and the way it combines with exogenous orienting are immature in preschool children until 6 years of age.…”

How ageing changes the mnemonic bias of visual behaviour

“…Several studies indicate that ageing can lead to impaired top-down control and hence increased stimulus-driven attentional capture compared with younger adults (Pratt & Bellomo, 1999;Iarocci, Enns, Randolph and Burack, 2009;Lincourt, Folk, Hoyer, 1997). Stimulus-driven capture of the eyes by search distracters can also increase in ageing individuals particularly when distracters are more salient (Kramer et al 2000).…”