Cognition, but not sensation, mediates age-related changes in the ability to monitor the environment.

The objective of the study was to determine which age-related changes in sensation and cognition are associated with age-related changes in the ability to monitor the environment. To that end, a proxy measure of the ability to monitor the environment (useful field of view, UFOV) and measures of sensation and cognition were collected from young adult (N = 61) and older adult subjects (N = 79). Although UFOV performance was expected to be mediated primarily by cognition rather than by sensation, it was somewhat unexpected to find no reliable associations between UFOV and sensory functioning beyond those of age and cognition. (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved