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Updated: Jul 12, 2026
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Assessing Working Memory in Children: The Comprehensive Assessment Battery for Children – Working Memory (CABC-WM)
Published on: June 12, 2017
Age-related deficits in component processes of working memory
Adam Gazzaley1, Margaret A Sheridan, Jeffrey W Cooney
1Department of Neurology, University of California, CA 94143-2522, USA. adam.gazzaley@ucsf.edu
Neuropsychology
|September 6, 2007
Summary
Older adults show working memory impairments, especially with high memory load and distraction. Faulty recognition processes may explain these cognitive aging deficits when memory systems are taxed.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Psychology of Aging
Background:
- Working memory deficits are common in normal aging.
- High memory load and distraction disproportionately impair older adults' memory performance.
- Component processes underlying these deficits require further characterization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-related differences in working memory component processes.
- To examine the impact of memory load and distraction on recognition and recall accuracy.
- To identify specific cognitive mechanisms contributing to aging-related working memory impairments.
Main Methods:
- A behavioral study comparing younger and older adults.
- Utilized a delayed-recognition and recall task with manipulated encoding and delay periods.
- Varied memory load (single vs. multiple letters) and delay condition (uninterrupted vs. visual distraction).
Main Results:
- An age-related impairment in working memory recognition accuracy was observed.
- This impairment was specific to conditions of high memory load combined with distraction.
- No significant age differences were found in other tested conditions.
Conclusions:
- Faulty recognition processes may underlie age-related working memory deficits.
- Cognitive aging impacts working memory maintenance systems under demanding conditions.
- These findings contribute to understanding the mechanisms of cognitive aging.
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