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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 4, 2026

An Experimental Paradigm for Measuring the Effects of Ageing on Sentence Processing
04:30

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Published on: October 25, 2019

Age differences in text processing: the role of working memory, inhibition, and processing speed.

Erika Borella1, Paolo Ghisletta, Anik de Ribaupierre

  • 1Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Via Venezia, 8, 35131 Padova, Italy. erika.borella@unipd.it

The Journals of Gerontology. Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences
|February 23, 2011
PubMed
Summary

Working memory (WM) capacity explains age-related differences in text comprehension. This capacity is influenced by processing speed and the ability to inhibit irrelevant information, impacting how older adults understand texts.

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Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Neuroscience
  • Human Development

Background:

  • Age-related decline in cognitive functions impacts text comprehension.
  • General cognitive mechanisms like working memory, inhibition, and processing speed are implicated in age-related differences in comprehension.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between age, working memory (WM), inhibition, processing speed, and text comprehension.
  • To examine how these cognitive mechanisms mediate age differences in text processing at surface and text-based levels.

Main Methods:

  • Structural equation modeling was used to analyze data from 89 younger and 102 older adults.
  • Participants completed tasks assessing text comprehension, WM, inhibition, and processing speed.
  • Text comprehension task difficulty was manipulated by controlling text visibility during question answering.

Main Results:

  • Age differences in text comprehension were more pronounced when the text was not visible.
  • Working memory (WM) mediated the effect of age on text processing under both conditions.
  • Age-related variance in WM was explained by processing speed and inhibition efficiency.

Conclusions:

  • Working memory capacity is a key factor explaining age differences in text processing.
  • The efficiency of inhibiting irrelevant information and processing speed contribute to age-related variations in WM capacity.