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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 30, 2026

A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions
10:38

A Cognitive Paradigm to Investigate Interference in Working Memory by Distractions and Interruptions

Published on: July 16, 2015

Age differences in proactive interference, working memory, and abstract reasoning.

Lisa Emery1, Sandra Hale, Joel Myerson

  • 1Department of Psychology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, USA. Ljemery@ncsu.edu

Psychology and Aging
|September 24, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Older adults may be more susceptible to proactive interference (PI), impacting working memory. However, their reasoning depends on working memory performance with low PI, unlike younger adults.

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Neuroscience
  • Gerontology

Background:

  • Proactive interference (PI) is hypothesized to disproportionately affect older adults, contributing to age-related working memory decline.
  • While PI impacts working memory and reasoning in young adults, its role in older adults remains understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate age differences in proactive interference (PI) susceptibility.
  • To examine the relationship between PI, working memory, and abstract reasoning across different age groups.

Main Methods:

  • A modified operation span task was used to induce PI buildup and release in young, old, and very old adults.
  • Two abstract reasoning tests were administered to assess cognitive function.

Main Results:

  • Working memory performance differences between age groups widened with increasing PI, supporting greater PI susceptibility in older adults.
  • Both young and older adults demonstrated complete PI release.
  • Young adults' reasoning was best predicted by working memory under high PI, while older adults' reasoning was linked to working memory under low PI.

Conclusions:

  • Findings suggest older adults are more susceptible to PI, affecting working memory.
  • The predictive relationship between working memory and reasoning differs significantly with age and PI levels.
  • The general role of PI susceptibility in older adults' cognitive function requires further investigation.