Switching gears: Age-related differences in goal-directed and habitual behavior.

IF 2.6 3区 心理学 Q3 NEUROSCIENCES
Neuropsychology Pub Date : 2025-03-03 DOI:10.1037/neu0000997
Chelsea Hennessy, Thomas Pace, Remy Blatch-Williams, Tim van Timmeren, Sanne de Wit, Sophie C Andrews
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objective: The present study intended to improve understanding of cognitive factors contributing to age-related differences in cognitive ability to shift between goal-directed (i.e., purposeful) and habitual (i.e., automatic) behavior.

Method: Fifty participants, divided into two age groups (older: n = 25, Mage = 67.35, 15 female; younger: n = 25, Mage = 20.84, 18 female), were included. They completed behavioral measures of mood and well-being, as well as a cognitive battery of measures related to memory, reaction time, and speed of processing. Goal-directed and habitual responding was measured using the symmetrical outcome-revaluation task. Response window lengths were varied with overall longer response windows for older (800 ms short/1,100 ms long) compared to younger adults (500 ms short/800 ms long). Independent sample t tests, mixed analyses of variance, and analyses of covariance were used to compare age groups on behavioral and cognitive measures and the symmetrical outcome-revaluation task.

Results: When given short response windows, both age groups displayed a reliance on habitual behavior over goal-directed responding. Interestingly, when provided longer response windows, younger adults were able to update responding to exercise goal-directed behavior and significantly improved their task performance compared to older adults who continued to rely on incorrect habitual responses. Working memory did not appear to be a significant driver of performance differences.

Conclusions: These findings provide a better understanding of the balance between goal-directed and habitual behaviors in aging, suggesting that age-related slowing and memory changes do not fully account for older adults' reliance on habitual responding and warrant further research into practical implications of addressing healthy behavioral change in older adults. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).

换档:目标导向和习惯行为的年龄相关差异。
目的:本研究旨在提高对目标导向(即目的)和习惯性(即自动)行为之间认知能力转换的年龄相关差异的认知因素的理解。方法:50例受试者,分为两组(年龄较大:n = 25,年龄较大= 67.35,女性15;年轻:n = 25,年龄= 20.84,女性18例)。他们完成了情绪和幸福感的行为测量,以及与记忆、反应时间和处理速度相关的一系列认知测量。目标导向和习惯性反应采用对称结果重估任务进行测量。与年轻人(500 ms短/800 ms长)相比,老年人(800 ms短/ 1100 ms长)的反应窗口长度随总体反应窗口的延长而变化。使用独立样本t检验、混合方差分析和协方差分析来比较不同年龄组的行为和认知测量以及对称结果重估任务。结果:当给出简短的反应窗口时,两个年龄组都表现出对习惯行为的依赖,而不是目标导向的反应。有趣的是,当提供更长的反应窗口时,年轻人能够更新对运动目标导向行为的反应,与继续依赖错误习惯反应的老年人相比,他们的任务表现显著提高。工作记忆似乎并不是表现差异的重要驱动因素。结论:这些发现提供了更好的理解目标导向行为和习惯行为在衰老过程中的平衡,表明年龄相关的减缓和记忆变化并不能完全解释老年人对习惯反应的依赖,值得进一步研究解决老年人健康行为改变的实际意义。(PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA,版权所有)。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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来源期刊
Neuropsychology
Neuropsychology 医学-神经科学
CiteScore
4.10
自引率
4.20%
发文量
132
审稿时长
6-12 weeks
期刊介绍: Neuropsychology publishes original, empirical research; systematic reviews and meta-analyses; and theoretical articles on the relation between brain and human cognitive, emotional, and behavioral function.
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