No age differences in complex memory search: older adults search as efficiently as younger adults.

Full Abstract

In 2 experiments, the authors investigated age differences in memory search under 4 conditions: forward search, backward search, random search, and fixed irregular search. Both search slopes and serial position curves were investigated. Mixing conditions led to smaller age differences than blocking conditions, suggesting that younger adults have an advantage over older adults when strategies can be applied to memory scanning. All age differences in scanning rates, however, disappeared when age differences in a magnitude-judgment control task were controlled for, showing that age differences in memory scanning tasks are not because of the scanning process per se, but because of attention, sensorimotor speed, and decision processes. In both experiments, the serial position curves of older adults echoed those of younger adults closely, demonstrating that younger and older adults use the same scanning processes.

Author information

Author/s: Lange, Elke B (EB); Verhaeghen, Paul (P);

Affiliation: School of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology. elke.lange(-atsign-)uni-potsdam.de

Grants: AG-16201 (Agency:NIA NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

Journal: Psychology and aging (Psychol Aging), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2009-Mar; vol 24 (issue 1) : pp 105-15

Dates: Created 2009/03/17; Completed 2009/05/11;

PMID: 19290742, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 5/11/2009, IMS Date: 11 May 2009 00:00:00)

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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