CAJ | 학술논문

信息降格说认为,感觉功能老化使认知系统难以获得良好的信息输入,并必须牺牲有限的认知资源获得更好的刺激信息,使能用于认知加工的资源不足,造成认知老化。为探讨感觉功能对基本心理能力老化的作用,该研究采用2（年龄组：年轻、老年组）×4（视知觉压力水平：高、中、低、无噪音）的混合设计,考察年轻、老年组在相同视知觉压力下基本心理能力的年龄差异。结果发现和无噪音条件相比,相同视知觉压力下基本心理能力（数字能力、归纳推理能力）的年龄差异减小,甚至消失,一定程度上支持信息降格说。视觉功能衰退可能是影响基本心理能力老化的重要因素,但这种作用受认知资源的调节。
신식강격설인위,감각공능노화사인지계통난이획득량호적신식수입,병필수희생유한적인지자원획득경호적자격신식,사능용우인지가공적자원불족,조성인지노화。위탐토감각공능대기본심리능력노화적작용,해연구채용2（년령조：년경、노년조）×4（시지각압력수평：고、중、저、무조음）적혼합설계,고찰년경、노년조재상동시지각압력하기본심리능력적년령차이。결과발현화무조음조건상비,상동시지각압력하기본심리능력（수자능력、귀납추리능력）적년령차이감소,심지소실,일정정도상지지신식강격설。시각공능쇠퇴가능시영향기본심리능력노화적중요인소,단저충작용수인지자원적조절。
Sensory function is considered a basic resource for the aging of cognition. According to the information- degradation hypothesis （Schneider ＆ Pichora-Fuller, 2000）, the decline of sensory function reduces the input of peripheral stimulating information to the central neural system of older adults, and so more attention resources are demanded to process the limited quality sensory information. With the result of fewer resources being left for cognitive processing, older adults have worse cognitive performance than younger adults. The present study adopted a 2 （age： old and young） × 4 （visual perceptual stress： high, medium, low, no-noise） mixed design, with age as a between-subject variable and visual perceptual stress as a within-subject variable, to examine the role of visual function on cognitive aging. Three primary mental abilities （PMA）, spatial orientation ability, numerical ability and inductive reasoning ability, were used as the indexes of cognitive functions. All cognitive tests were displayed under four different levels of visual perceptual stress by standardized programs on the computer. The visual perceptual stress was created by covering stimuli with Gaussian noise. Notably, the visual perceptual stress of each subject was determined by the condition of each individual. Therefore, all participants undertook equal visual perceptual stress towards task-related stimuli in each stress condition. It was expected that the age-related differences would decrease significantly or disappear completely when the older and younger participants undertook the same level of visual perceptual press. Thirty-three younger adults （aged 18 to 33 years old） and thirty-one older adults （aged 62 to 87 years old） were recruited. Two-way repeated measures ANOVA analysis showed that： 1. The performance of the younger group for spatial orientation ability was significantly worse in the high visual perceptual stress condition （F（1,60） = 5.02, p 〈 0.05）, while no significantly difference was found than that of the older group in medium stress condition （F（1,60） = 0.01, p 〉 0.05）, in low stress condition （F（1,60） = 0.41, p 〉 0.05） and in no-noise condition （F（1,60） = 0.25, p 〉 0.05）. 2. The older group＇s performance of numerical ability was significant lower than that of the younger group in medium stress condition （F（1,55） = 20.28, p 〈 0.001）, in low stress condition （F（1,55） = 13.58, p 〈 0.01） and in no-noise condition （F（1,55） = 210.95, p 〈 0.001）, except in the high stress condition （F（1,55） - 0.99, p 〉 0.05）. The age differences reduced gradually when the visual perceptual stress increased. 3. Significant age differences were found in inductive reasoning ability when the visual perceptual stress was matched between younger and older adults. The younger performed better in the four levels of visual perceptual stress than the older in medium stress condition （F（1,46） = 36.40, p 〈 0.001）, in low stress condition （F（1,46）=53.23, p 〈 0.001） and in no-noise condition （F（1,46） = 28.05, p 〈 0.001）, while no difference was observed in the high stress condition （F（1,46） = 3.61, p = 0.064）. The age differences also decreased gradually when the visual perceptual stress increased. The results supported the information-degradation hypothesis to some degree. The decline of visual function plays an important role in the aging of numerical ability and inductive reasoning ability. The relationship between visual perception and the aging of spatial orientation ability needs to be considered deeply. In conclusion, visual function may play an important role in the aging of PMA, while the role of visual function in the aging of PMA may be moderated by cognitive resource.