Postural anxiety influences the allocation of attentional resources among younger and older adults
Date
2010
Authors
Kempster, Cody C.
University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Kinesiology, 2010
Abstract
The purpose of this thesis was to investigate the influence of postural anxiety on the
capacity for Flexible Resource Allocation (FRA) among younger (YA) and older adults
(OA). Two experiments were conducted to explore (a) the influence of heightened
postural anxiety on the flexible allocation of attention among OA and (b) the influence of
concurrent postural challenge and postural anxiety on FRA among YA. Participants
performed a postural task concurrently to a cognitive task according to three instructional
sets directing task priority. Experiment one revealed that FRA was compromised among
OA during circumstances of heightened anxiety. This capacity however, remained
available among YA. Therefore, for the second experiment I varied the support surface to
explore whether the capacity for FRA could be sustained when posture was challenged
beyond static stance. Results indicated that YA altered cognitive task performance
according to instructional set without compromising postural stability. These findings
suggest that even when posture is challenged during heightened postural anxiety, YA
maintain the capacity to automatically allocate attention to a postural task while
performing a secondary task. Conversely, it seems that heightened postural anxiety
strengthens the attentional bias to posture and subsequently compromises FRA among
OA. Overall, results from this thesis suggest that the capacity for FRA is age and
situation dependent.
Description
xi, 107 leaves : ill. ; 29 cm
Keywords
Posture -- Research , Equilibrium (Physiology) -- Research , Older people -- Orientation and mobility -- Research , Falls (Accidents) in old age -- Research , Dissertations, Academic