Psychology Department, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel.
Psychology Department, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel; The Center for the Study of Rationality, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel.
Conscious Cogn. 2018 Aug;63:267-279. doi: 10.1016/j.concog.2018.06.007. Epub 2018 Jun 12.
It is widely accepted that while controlled processes (e.g., working memory and executive functions) decline with age, implicit (automatic) processes are not affected by age. In this paper we challenge this view by arguing that high-level automatic processes (e.g., recruiting motivation) decline with age, and that this decline plays an unappreciated role in cognitive aging. Specifically, we hypothesized that due to their decline, automatic motivational processes are less likely to be spontaneously activated in old age; thus, implicit external activation of them should have stronger effects on older (vs. younger) adults. In two experiments we used different methods of implicitly activating motivation, and measured executive functions of younger and older adults using the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. In both experiments, implicit modulation of motivation resulted in improved executive functioning for older adults. The framework we propose is general and offers a new look at various aspects of cognitive aging.
人们普遍认为，虽然受控过程（例如工作记忆和执行功能）会随着年龄的增长而下降，但内隐（自动）过程不受年龄影响。在本文中，我们通过提出以下观点来挑战这一观点，即高级自动过程（例如，调动动机）会随着年龄的增长而下降，并且这种下降在认知老化中起着未被充分认识的作用。具体来说，我们假设由于它们的下降，自动动机过程在老年时不太可能自发激活；因此，对它们的隐性外部激活应该对老年人（相对于年轻人）产生更强的影响。在两项实验中，我们使用了不同的方法来隐性地激发动机，并使用威斯康星卡片分类测验来测量年轻人和老年人的执行功能。在这两项实验中，动机的隐性调节都能改善老年人的执行功能。我们提出的框架是通用的，可以为认知老化的各个方面提供新的视角。
