Age-related reduction in 3-D visual motion priming

Psychol Aging. 1999 Dec;14(4):619-26. doi: 10.1037//0882-7974.14.4.619.

Abstract

In 3 experiments, younger and older adults judged the perceived motion of three-dimensional (3-D) figures that rotated in depth either unambiguously or ambiguously. Both groups were found to be equivalent in judging the direction of single rotations of the simulated 3-D objects (Experiment 1). In Experiments 2 and 3, a single unambiguous rotation (prime) was followed 0-3200 ms later by an ambiguous rotation (target). Motion priming was indicated by the disambiguation of the second rotation by the first rotation. 3-D motion priming was initially found to be similar in young and old, but it rapidly reduced in the older participants compared to the younger ones. Using a nonluminance depth cue--occlusion--to induce 3-D motion, diminished contrast sensitivity in the elderly was ruled out as a cause of the reduced priming. The results show that 3-D motion priming exhibits robust age-related decline. An age-related decrease in temporal persistence may account for the reduction in 3-D motion priming in older adults.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Age Factors
  • Aged
  • Aging / physiology*
  • Humans
  • Judgment / physiology*
  • Motion Perception / physiology*
  • Visual Perception / physiology*
  • Wechsler Scales