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[Aging and retrieval-induced forgetting of associatively structured lists]
Takashi Matsuda1, Junko Matsukawa
1Graduate School of Human and Socio-Environment Studies, Kanazawa University, Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan. matsudat@staff.kanazawa-u.ac.jp
Shinrigaku Kenkyu : the Japanese Journal of Psychology
|January 14, 2011
Summary
Remembering information can lead to forgetting related items, a phenomenon known as retrieval-induced forgetting. This study found that associative memory structures contribute to this effect, which remains consistent across different age groups.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience of Aging
Background:
- Retrieval-induced forgetting (RIF) demonstrates that active memory retrieval can impair recall of non-retrieved, related items.
- The role of associative structures in RIF and potential age-related changes in this process remain areas for investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate RIF in associatively structured lists using the Deese/Roediger-McDermott (DRM) paradigm.
- To determine if aging affects the magnitude of RIF in associatively structured lists.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Deese/Roediger-McDermott (DRM) lists, known for their associative structure, as stimuli.
- Compared RIF effects in young and old adult participants during a free recall test.
Main Results:
- Both young and old adult participants exhibited comparable levels of retrieval-induced forgetting.
- The degree of forgetting due to retrieval was consistent across the two age groups.
Conclusions:
- The associative structure of memory items is a key factor driving retrieval-induced forgetting.
- The inhibitory mechanisms underlying retrieval-induced forgetting appear to be preserved and do not decline with advanced age.
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