Coyne A C, Eiler J M, Vanderplas J M, Botwinick J
Exp Aging Res. 1979 Jun;5(3):263-70. doi: 10.1080/03610737908257203.
Stimulus persistence theory states that the effects of stimulation are longer lasting in the nervous system of the old person than the younger one. This concept and its relation to perceptual functioning and age was examined via two perceptual aftereffect tasks, the Spiral and the Waterfall. Twenty-four elderly adults (mean age = 65.5) and twenty-four young adults (mean age = 24.8) were each exposed to both stimulus displays, at four exposure durations: 45, 60, 90, and 120 seconds. Following the offset of each display, the duration of any apparent motion aftereffect was recorded. Although on the basis of stimulus persistence theory it was expected that the elderly would exhibit longer mean aftereffects than the young, no support for this hypothesis was noted. Possible explanations of these results and their relation to previous findings, in terms of fatigue effects and sample characteristics, are discussed.
刺激持续理论认为，刺激在老年人神经系统中的作用持续时间比年轻人更长。通过两项知觉后效任务，即螺旋任务和瀑布任务，对这一概念及其与知觉功能和年龄的关系进行了研究。24名老年人（平均年龄 = 65.5岁）和24名年轻人（平均年龄 = 24.8岁）分别在45、60、90和120秒这四个暴露持续时间下观看这两种刺激显示。在每次显示结束后，记录任何明显运动后效的持续时间。尽管根据刺激持续理论，预计老年人的平均后效会比年轻人更长，但并未发现支持这一假设的证据。本文讨论了这些结果的可能解释及其与先前研究结果在疲劳效应和样本特征方面的关系。
