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Recognition memory in older adults: adjustment to changing contingencies
Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior
|November 1, 1990
Summary
Older men showed reduced accuracy in memory tasks, especially with complex stimuli, but practice improved performance for both age groups. Age-related memory differences diminished with task experience.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience of Aging
- Human Memory
Background:
- Understanding age-related changes in cognitive functions like memory is crucial.
- Continuous-recognition memory tasks assess sustained attention and memory retrieval.
- Previous research suggests potential declines in older adults' memory performance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age differences in continuous-recognition memory performance.
- To examine the impact of stimulus type, practice, and reward contingencies on memory accuracy.
- To analyze age-related changes in response bias and sensitivity.
Main Methods:
- Employed a continuous-recognition memory procedure with 4 older and 4 younger men.
- Varied experimental factors: stimulus type (strings, words, sentences), inter-item intervals, and payoff matrices.
- Utilized signal detection analysis to assess sensitivity (accuracy) and bias (response tendencies).
Main Results:
- Older men exhibited lower sensitivity, particularly with alphanumeric strings, but this gap narrowed with practice.
- Age groups showed similar response bias under neutral payoff conditions.
- Both age groups adjusted their response bias with altered payoff matrices, though older men's adjustments were less precise.
Conclusions:
- Extended practice can mitigate age-related deficits in continuous-recognition memory.
- While older adults may show less precise adjustments to response criteria, their fundamental response bias is comparable to younger adults.
- Memory performance in older adults is influenced by stimulus complexity and task demands.