Stress and Managers Performance: Age-Related Changes in Psychophysiological Reactions to Cognitive Load

Work ability of elderly managers may decrease probably due to a decreased cognitive flexibility. Moreover, cardiovascular reactivity to changing task demands might be less efficient in elderly. Younger (36-45 years) and elderly (49-60 years) German managers had to perform a switching task when they had to switch continuously between different rules of information processing or to use the same rule. Although the performance did not differ between groups, SBP was higher and HRV was lower in elderly. In addition, elderly showed an increased rigidity of cardiovascular function against changing task demands.