Abstract
Working memory is critical for the storage and maintenance of information but is susceptible to age-related changes. Prior studies have shown that incentives can be used to successfully modulate cognition in older age. However, research has largely focused on the use of reward incentives. Less is understood about the motivational processes of avoiding losses and whether this can also improve working memory capacity. Given that an aversion to losses may become more salient with age, it is important to determine whether these motivational shifts are reflected in how older adults attend to and store information. The current study compared how gains and loss avoidance may differentially motivate older adults’ working memory performance. The data were collected from an online sample of 72 older adults who completed a series of questionnaires, and a motivated single-item change detection task aimed to measure visual spatial working memory capacity. All participants completed two conditions, one in which they were motivated to earn rewards based on their performance, and in the other, they were motivated to avoid losses. Results showed that working memory capacity did not differ based on gain compared to loss avoidance incentives. A main effect of set size indicated significantly higher accuracy between set sizes 2 and 3, but not compared to 4 or 5. Furthermore, individuals v in the loss avoidance condition reported higher levels of inattention and demotivation compared to the gain condition. Findings demonstrate a replication of average working spatial memory capacity (between 2 – 3 items) in an older adult sample and suggest the use of incentives, regardless of type, can have potential benefits in modulating working memory.
Degree Date
Spring 5-17-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.A.
Department
Psychology
Advisor
Holly Bowen
Second Advisor
David Rosenfield
Third Advisor
Austin Baldwin
Number of Pages
57
Format
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Recommended Citation
Pham, Julie Q., "Comparing Gains and Losses: Examining the Effects of Incentives on Working Memory Capacity and Motivational Processes in Older Adults" (2025). Psychology Theses and Dissertations. 57.
https://scholar.smu.edu/hum_sci_psychology_etds/57
