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Age differences in working memory--the roles of storage and selective access
Klaus Oberauer1, Mirko Wendland, Reinhold Kliegl
1Department of Psychology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany. ko@ry.uni-potsdam.de
Memory & Cognition
|July 23, 2003
Summary
Older adults show slower arithmetic speeds with increased working memory demands. However, age does not impact the ability to selectively access information in working memory.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Human Aging Research
Background:
- Working memory capacity and processing speed decline with age.
- Understanding age-related cognitive changes is crucial for maintaining independence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-related differences in arithmetic performance under varying working memory loads.
- To determine if older adults exhibit deficits in selective working memory access.
Main Methods:
- Arithmetic tasks were administered to young and old adults with working memory loads from 1 to 4.
- Accuracy and response times were measured.
- Object-switching costs were analyzed in relation to memory demand and age.
Main Results:
- Young and old adults performed similarly at low working memory loads.
- Older adults were significantly slower than young adults when working memory demands exceeded 1.
- Object-switching costs increased with memory load but were consistent across age groups.
Conclusions:
- Older adults experience increased processing time with higher working memory demands.
- Selective access to working memory is preserved in older adults, suggesting age-related slowing is not due to impaired information selection.