Visual Search and the Older Adult: Not all is Lost

Abstract

Plude and Doussard-Roosevelt (1989) reported age-related search slope differences in a conjunction search task but not in a feature search task. According to Feature Integration Theory (Treisman & Gelade, 1980), older adults may suffer an impairment in the feature integration mechanism required for conjunction searches. We extend this work by examining age-related differences a series of feature, conjunction, and triple conjunction search tasks. The results of the feature and conjunction search tasks support the previous findings. However, the results of the triple conjunction search task suggest that the conjunction search impairment is not universal. As the triple conjunction search results are difficult to accommodate within Feature Integration Theory, the results are discussed within the framework of the Guided Search model of visual selective attention.