The influence of task complexity and information value on feedback processing in younger and older adults: no evidence for a positivity bias during feedback-induced learning in older adults.

The influence of task complexity and information value on feedback processing in younger and older adults: no evidence for a positivity bias during feedback-induced learning in older adults. Brain Res. 2019 Apr 13;: Authors: Ferdinand NK Abstract Humans flexibly adapt their behavior using feedback from their environment. This ability is impaired in old age, but recent research suggests this mainly concerns processing of negative feedback and that positive feedback might be spared. The aim of this study was to test this idea of an age-related positivity bias against the possibility of a strategic focus on relevant feedback due to limited processing resources in old age. For this purpose, 17 younger (aged 19 to 28 years) and 18 older (aged 69 to 79 years) adults performed a learning task in which they learned the correct response to a stimulus via feedback. Learning relevance was manipulated by varying the informational value of positive and negative feedback. To manipulate available processing resources, the task was conducted under two difficulty levels. Our results showed no hint of a positivity bias in older adults. On the contrary, we found that they learned worse when the information value of the negative feedback was reduced. This is in line with the idea that the positivity effect in older adults reflects a strategic change in motivation, i.e., older adults preferably process positive information if they have a choice, but they...
Source: Brain Research - Category: Neurology Authors: Tags: Brain Res Source Type: research