Effects of Aging on Stimuli for Peripheral Vision

The effects of aging on visual information process during simulated driving were examined using a newly developed device for the presentation of stimuli in the peripheral vision (peripheral vision reaction timer). Forty-eight observers (42 men, six women), divided into three groups (aged, middle aged, younger) separated by 20 years, participated in the experiments. In experiment 1, the observers reacted by foot when LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) were lit on both the right and left sides within a 90°to 20°visual angle . Results suggested that observers of in their 60’s and 70’s had a narrower visual field than the younger. In experiment 2, the observers reacted as soon as LEDs in the peripheral visual field(80°, 60°, 40°, and 20°) were lit while driving a car along the road on the display. They also made more response errors, took more reaction time, and had more individual differences in performance than the other two groups. The aged seemed to have not only a narrower visual field but a more deteriorated capacity for information processing. In a practical situation as in driving, acquisition of spatial allowance according to the driver’s individual difference is needed