de Wit S, van de Vijver I, Ridderinkhof K R
Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands,
Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci. 2014 Jun;14(2):647-58. doi: 10.3758/s13415-014-0288-5.
According to dual-system theories, instrumental learning is supported by dissociable goal-directed and habitual systems. Previous investigations of the dual-system balance in healthy aging have yielded mixed results. To further investigate this issue, we compared performance of young (17-24 years) and older (69-84 years) adults on an instrumental learning task. Following the initial learning phase, the behavioral autonomy of the motivational significance of the instrumental outcome was assessed with an outcome-devaluation test and slips-of-action test. The present study provides evidence for a disrupted dual-system balance in healthy aging, as reflected in reduced outcome-induced conflict during acquisition, as well as in impaired performance during the test stage, during which participants had to flexibly adjust their actions to changes in the current desirability of the behavioral outcome. These findings will be discussed in relation to previous aging studies into habitual and goal-directed control, as well as other cognitive impairments, challenges that older adults may face in everyday life, and to the neurobiological basis of the developmental pattern of goal-directed action across the lifespan.
根据双系统理论，工具性学习由可分离的目标导向系统和习惯系统支持。先前对健康衰老过程中双系统平衡的研究结果不一。为了进一步研究这个问题，我们比较了年轻人（17 - 24岁）和老年人（69 - 84岁）在一项工具性学习任务中的表现。在初始学习阶段之后，通过结果贬值测试和行动失误测试评估工具性结果动机意义的行为自主性。本研究为健康衰老过程中双系统平衡受到破坏提供了证据，这体现在习得过程中结果诱发冲突的减少，以及测试阶段表现受损，在此阶段参与者必须灵活调整他们的行动以适应行为结果当前合意性的变化。这些发现将结合先前关于习惯和目标导向控制的衰老研究、其他认知障碍、老年人在日常生活中可能面临的挑战以及一生中目标导向行动发展模式的神经生物学基础进行讨论。
