Age-related perceptual and cognitive effectts on visual search

Abstract

This thesis examines age-related differences in visual search processes and their underlying cognitive mechanisms. Through various experimental paradigms, eye-tracking techniques, and mathematical models, the study explores the impact of age on different components of visual search, including signal-to-noise processing, top-down control, visual short-term memory, distractor suppression, and the interaction attentional control with visual working memory load. Overall, this thesis contributes to our understanding of age- related changes in visual search processes. The findings reveal slower response times in older adults, while target detection accuracy remains relatively stable. Set size and eccentricity significantly impact search performance, and the use of top-down information remains intact in older adults. Age-related declines are observed in cognitive processes, including attentional guidance, decision latency, and the use of visual working memory during the guidance stage of visual search. However, older adults exhibit preserved abilities in certain aspects of visual search, such as the use of top-down information in certain situations, such as the suppression of salient singleton distractors. These findings underscore the complexity of the cognitive mechanisms involved in visual search and highlight the need for further research and interventions to enhance visual search performance in older adults.