Age differences and changes in reaction time: the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging.
Abstract
This study analyzed auditory reaction time (RT) data from 1,265 community-dwelling volunteers (833 males and 432 females) who ranged in age from 17 to 96. Cross-sectional analyses revealed slowing of simple (SRT) and relatively greater slowing of disjunctive (DRT; aka "go-no-go") reaction time across decades for both males and females. Repeated testing within participants (longitudinal analyses) over eight years showed consistent slowing and increased variability with age. Males were faster than females cross age groups, RT tasks, and visits. Beginning at about age 20, RTs increased at a rate of approximately 0.5 msec/yr for SRT and 1.6 msec/yr for DRT. Errors also increased, making unlikely a tradeoff of accuracy for faster responses. The findings are consistent with the hypotheses that slowing of behavior is: (a) a continuous process over the adult life span; (b) characterized by age-associated increases in within-participant variability; (c) a direct function of task complexity and, presumably, the degree of mediation by higher regions in the central nervous system; and (d) greater in women than men.
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Previous studies have uniformly found significant age-related increases in SRT latencies.
“Previous studies have uniformly found significant age-related increases in SRT latencies (Wilkinson and Allison, 1989; Fozard et al., 1994; Inui, 1997; Anstey et al., 2005; Commodari and Guarnera, 2008; Deary et al., 2010; Godefroy et al., 2010; Era et al., 2011; Dykiert et al., 2012a; see Table 1).”
From Factors influencing the latency of simple reaction time (2015) · cites this paper as Fozard et al., 1994
Previous large-scale studies have found longer SRT latencies in female subjects, along with increased variance and CVs.
“A number of previous large-scale studies have found longer SRT latencies in female subjects, along with increased variance and CVs (Fittro et al., 1992; Fozard et al., 1994; Anstey et al., 2005; Dykiert et al., 2012b; Vincent et al., 2012).”
From Factors influencing the latency of simple reaction time (2015) · cites this paper as Fozard et al., 1994
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- Authors
- Fozard, J. L., Vercruyssen, M., Reynolds, S. L., Hancock, P. A., & Quilter, R. E.
- Affiliations
- National Institutes of Health (US)
- University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (US)
- ORCID
- Reynolds, S. L.
- Venue
- Journal of Gerontology
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 1994-07-01
- Volume
- 49
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- P179-P189
- ISSN
- 0022-1422 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2049799256
- Cited by
- 408
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 28 · 2020: 25 · 2019: 19 · 2018: 21 · 2017: 19 · 2016: 18 · 2015: 18 · 2014: 18 · 2013: 18 · 2012: 15
- FWCI
- 5.17
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Gerontology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- TU/e Research Portal (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Aging and Gerontology Research
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Abilities and Testing
- Keywords
- reaction time, aging, age differences, auditory reaction time, simple reaction time, sex differences, task complexity, Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging, community-dwelling older adults
- MeSH terms
- Acoustic Stimulation, Adolescent, Adult, Age Factors, Aged, Aged, 80 and over, Aging, Alpha Rhythm, Auditory Perception, Cross-Sectional Studies, Discrimination, Psychological, Educational Status, Female, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, Reaction Time, Sex Factors, Baltimore, Linear Models
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