Event simultaneity does not eliminate age deficits in implicit probabilistic sequence learning.

Abstract

Recent studies have shown age-related deficits in learning subtle probabilistic sequential relationships. However, virtually all sequence learning studies have displayed successive events one at a time. Here we used a modified Triplets Learning Task to investigate if an age deficit occurs even when sequentially-presented predictive events remain in view simultaneously. Twelve young and 12 old adults observed two cue events and responded to a target event on each of a series of trials. All three events remained in view until the subject responded. Unbeknownst to participants, the first cue predicted one of four targets on 80% of the trials. Learning was indicated by faster and more accurate responding to these high-probability targets than to low-probability targets. Results revealed age deficits in sequence learning even with this simultaneous display, suggesting that age differences are not due solely to general processing declines, but rather reflect an age-related deficit in associative learning.