Stroop Task as a Measure of Executive Functioning in Older Adults: Preliminary Data from a Multi-Site Study of Moderate Sleep Restriction

Abstract

Aim of Multi-Site Sleep Study is to examine the effects of chronic moderate sleep restriction on adults. Participants must be between 60- 80 years and sleep 8-9 hours (long sleepers) or 6-7.25 (average sleepers) hours per night. For my thesis, I will examine the first year data of the Stroop task (pre and posttest) looking at Stroop interference and Stroop time. My hypotheses are that long sleepers will benefit from moderate sleep restriction, but average sleepers will not. I predict no change will occur for the control group (both average and long sleepers). The study is fourteen weeks. Following baseline, participants will be assigned to the sleep restriction treatment or control treatment. The sleep restriction group will get an hour less of nightly sleep. Participants in the control group will get the same amount of sleep as baseline. Analysis revealed that there was a main effect of pre-post for interference of the Stroop task. There was no significant main effect of group or interaction between pre-post and group. For part 1, 2, and 3 Stroop time, there was a main effect of pre-post. There was no significant main effect of group or interaction between pre-post and group.