[Age-related changes in the relationship between learning progress and auditory working memory characteristics]

In order to explore the relationship between learning progress and working memory characteristics, the psychoacoustic testing of 42 persons (20-65 years old) of medical staff taught a novel science (informatics) was carried out. The subjects were divided into three age groups: 20-35, 36-50, and 51-65-year-olds. Acoustical test consisted of a set of 12 target words (professional informatics terms) presented through headphones and subsequent presentation of a random succession of 12 target and 12 masking words (all of them being professional informatics terms). Listeners had to recognize the target words. The stepwise linear regression analysis revealed a link between the progress in acquisition of the new material and characteristics of acoustical working memory, whose role in learning progress increased with age. Because the memory efficiency reduction was found in subjects older than 35 years, it was supposed that age-related changes in characteristics of the acoustical working memory were responsible for the decline in ability to learn novel material.