Effect of Task Complexity and Stimulus Duration on Perceptual-Motor Performance of Two Disparate Age Groups

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Abstract
This study was concerned with two task dimensions, complexity and stimulus duration, which previous research had shown to accentuate or reduce performance. differences between age groups. Young and old groups made an unguided movement at the onset of one stimulus light in a four-light display. Task complexity was varied by altering the number of response alternatives (1 or 2) while holding the display constant. Two stimulus durations were used: 0110 sec and 2.0 sec. Old subjects reacted 30 per cent slower and moved 7G percent slower than young. Both reaction time and movement time were slower for the complex task than for the simple. The difference between simple and complex movement time was significantly greater for old subjects than for young./ Young subjects moved faster with the 0.110 sec stimulus while old subjects moved faster with the 2.0 sec stimulus.