DEVELOPMENTAL ANALYSIS OF 3 ASPECTS OF INFORMATION-PROCESSING - SUSTAINED ATTENTION, SELECTIVE ATTENTION, AND RESPONSE ORGANIZATION

The development of cognitive abilities associated with Luria's (1973) three functional units of the brain was investigated in a sample of 62 children, ages 7 to 11 years, and 16 adults, ages 21 to 48 years. Sel ective attention, associated primarily with Luria's sensory-input unit , showed no demonstrable development within the age ranges studied. Ho wever, sustained attention, presumably mediated through Luria's arousa l unit and its ascending fibers to the cortex, as well as response org anization, associated with Luria's organization-and-planning unit, did reflect differential development. Capacity for sustained attention sh owed no appreciable development between 7 and 11 years of age, but the re was significant growth in this ability between age 11 and adulthood . Response organization, on the other hand, was found to develop most rapidly between 7 and 11 years of age. These findings are partially co nsistent with Luria's model of neurodevelopment as well as with resear ch investigating the functional and physiological maturation of variou s brain regions.