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Primed word-fragment completion and successive memory test performance in normal aging.
Thomas Karlsson1, Rolf Adolfsson, Arne Börjesson
1Dept. of Behavioral Sciences, Linköping University, Sweden Umeå University, Sweden Stockholm University, Sweden. tk@ibv.liu.se
Scandinavian Journal of Psychology
|July 31, 2003
Summary
Aging impacts implicit memory, affecting word-fragment completion and recognition. Memory test correlations also decrease with age, indicating broader age-related memory decline.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Gerontology
Background:
- Aging is associated with cognitive decline, particularly in memory functions.
- Understanding how different memory systems are affected by aging is crucial for developing interventions.
- Implicit memory, which operates unconsciously, may be particularly vulnerable to age-related changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of aging on priming effects in memory tasks.
- To determine the independence of primed word-fragment completion and recognition performances across age groups.
- To examine how aging affects the dependence between different memory tests.
Main Methods:
- Employed a successive test paradigm with repeated assessments.
- Utilized recognition and primed word-fragment completion tasks to evaluate memory.
- Compared performance and correlations between memory tests in young and old subjects.
Main Results:
- Implicit memory, specifically primed word-fragment completion, declines with increasing age.
- Correlations between different memory tests decrease significantly in older adults.
- Age-related decline affects multiple memory forms, including implicit and explicit memory measures.
Conclusions:
- Age-related memory decline encompasses various memory types, including implicit memory.
- The observed decrease in correlations suggests a decoupling of memory systems with aging.
- Findings highlight the pervasive nature of memory impairment in older adults.