Age differences in motivation drive performance during the sustained attention to response task.

ABSTRACT: Young and older adults prioritise speed and accuracy differently during sustained attention tasks. While older adults generally show a preference of accuracy over speed, this is not always the case. The underlying factor behind this inconsistency may be motivational differences, with older participants compensating for a speed disadvantage with increased intrinsic motivation to perform well. We investigated this in a pre-registered study, using the Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART) in young (n = 25, mean age = 19) and older adults (n = 25, mean age = 69.5). We matched participant accuracy by titrating response window length. Both groups achieved similar performance and strategy during the titration, enabling a comparison without confounds resulting from differences in default age

SUBMITTER: Hanzal S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12622824 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature