EYE MOVEMENTS REVEAL AGE DIFFERENCES IN HOW AROUSAL MODULATES MECHANISMS OF ATTENTIONAL CONTROL

Abstract

The arousal-biased competition theory posits that inducing arousal increases attentional priority of salient stimuli while reducing priority of non-salient stimuli. However, older adults are hypothesized to exhibit dysfunction in the locus coeruleus-noradrenaline system that mediates both global arousal and attentional control.