Week 15 Post 1

While reading chapter 24, I found the section titled "Information Processing After Age 65" to be very interesting. As individuals approach and reach the age of sixty-five, their senses are no longer as sharp as they used to be. The reduced acuity impairs cognition because information must cross the sensory threshold which is the divide between what is sensed and what is not, in order to be perceived. Some details and conversations never reach older people's minds because the senses do not detect the stimuli. When elderly people have sensory deficits, the brain automatically fills in missed sights and sounds which means information may be distorted or lost without the person realizing it. One study concluded that input led to the older adults' inaccuracy. Many older adults keep talking after their listener loses interest. They may also miss irony, humor, or sarcasm which are all signaled with facial expressions as well as words. Reduced sensory input affects cognition by increasing interference which is a major impediment to effective and efficient cognition in the elderly. Vital information may be lost because other less important information captures attention. Dealing with gaps in a heard message tires the mind which depletes the mental energy needed to take the next step in information processing. Older adults spend more effort reducing mental interference. This information was intriguing to me because I have never learned about cognition in late adulthood before.