Bower Jeffrey D, Andersen George J
University of California, Riverside, United States.
Vision Res. 2012 May 15;61:144-56. doi: 10.1016/j.visres.2011.07.016. Epub 2011 Jul 23.
In the present study we examined the use of perceptual learning to improve motion processing in older and younger individuals. Using the Perceptual Template Model (Lu & Dosher, 1998, 1999), age-related differences in baseline perceptual inefficiencies and changes due to training were assessed for additive internal noise, tolerance to external noise, and internal multiplicative noise. In Experiments 1 and 2 we trained participants by manipulating contrast in noise embedded sine-wave gratings and Random Dot Cinematograms (RDCs). The results indicate that older observers have higher additive internal noise and lower tolerance to external noise compared to younger observers. The rate of perceptual learning in older observers was found to be similar to that of younger observers suggesting that plasticity of motion processing mechanisms is well preserved in advancing age. Transfer of learning between sine-wave gratings and RDCs for both older and younger observers was examined in an analysis of pre/post-test measurements. The results indicate that transfer of learning occurred for both age groups. This suggests that older individuals maintain a sufficient degree of plasticity to allow generalization between sine-wave gratings and RDCs. In addition, training with RDCs was found to produce greater perceptual learning than training with sine-wave gratings. These experiments provide important findings regarding changes in perceptual efficiency for motion perception in older adults and suggest that perceptual learning is an effective approach for recovering from age-related declines in visual processing.
在本研究中，我们考察了使用知觉学习来改善老年人和年轻人的运动处理能力。使用知觉模板模型（Lu和Dosher，1998年，1999年），评估了在加性内部噪声、对外部噪声的耐受性和内部乘性噪声方面，基线知觉效率的年龄相关差异以及训练引起的变化。在实验1和实验2中，我们通过操纵嵌入噪声的正弦波光栅和随机点电影图（RDC）中的对比度来训练参与者。结果表明，与年轻观察者相比，年长观察者具有更高的加性内部噪声和更低的外部噪声耐受性。研究发现，年长观察者的知觉学习速率与年轻观察者相似，这表明运动处理机制的可塑性在年龄增长过程中得到了很好的保留。通过对测试前/后的测量分析，考察了年长和年轻观察者在正弦波光栅和RDC之间的学习迁移情况。结果表明，两个年龄组都发生了学习迁移。这表明年长个体保持了足够程度的可塑性，以允许在正弦波光栅和RDC之间进行泛化。此外，研究发现，用RDC训练比用正弦波光栅训练能产生更大的知觉学习效果。这些实验提供了关于老年人运动知觉中知觉效率变化的重要发现，并表明知觉学习是从与年龄相关的视觉处理衰退中恢复的有效方法。
