Bearing in mind that cognitive control is a complex function that includes several processes, it is not clear exactly
which ones deteriorate with age. In fact, controversial results have been found. For example, some studies
indicate that age-related deficits are observed in proactive and not in reactive control, others show that it is
reactive control that is impaired and not proactive control, and some studies find no deficits at all (e.g., Kopp,
Lange, Howe, & Wessel, 2014; Xiang et al., 2016). One possible reason is that the contribution of different
processes to the deterioration of cognitive control was investigated separately, i.e., without testing all processes
within the same paradigm. Therefore, the main goal of the present experiment was to study the impact of normal
aging on several processes related to cognitive control within the same task, which included both Simon and
Spatial Stroop trials. The study focused on the following processes: generation of conflict measured by automatic
response capture (i.e., stronger task-irrelevant information processing compared to task-relevant information
processing); conflict detection; and control implementation (which can be reactive control, both within trials and
across trials, and proactive control, as a task-set strategy). The results showed larger automatic response capture
for older adults when facing a stimulus-response conflict (Simon) but not a stimulus-stimulus conflict (Spatial
Stroop). Similarly, older adults also showed larger detection effects for both conflicts. However, regarding
control implementation, they only showed difficulties in inhibiting the early automatic response capture (withintrial
reactive control) but not reactive control across trials or proactive control. In conclusion, it seems that older
adults are more affected by the presence of task-irrelevant information, especially when it comes to resolving
stimulus-response conflict. However, they showed no impairments in their ability to implement cognitive control
both across trials and as a task-set strategy.Spanish Government AP2008-04006
PSI2008-04223
PSI2011-22416
PSI2012-34158
PID2020-114790GB-I0