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Selective attention affects conceptual object priming and recognition: a study with young and older adults
Soledad Ballesteros1, Julia Mayas1
1Studies on Aging and Neurodegenerative Diseases Research Group, Department of Basic Psychology II, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia Madrid, Spain.
Frontiers in Psychology
|January 29, 2015
Summary
Selective attention during encoding is crucial for conceptual object priming and explicit memory in both young and older adults. Both age groups showed memory benefits only for attended objects, though older adults were slower.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Human Aging Research
Background:
- Selective attention plays a critical role in memory formation.
- Understanding age-related differences in attention and memory is vital.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how selective attention at encoding impacts conceptual object priming and recognition memory.
- To compare these effects in young and older adults.
Main Methods:
- Two experiments were conducted with encoding and memory test phases.
- Participants classified objects based on color-cued attention and natural/artificial categories.
- Tasks included speeded conceptual classification and old-new recognition memory.
Main Results:
- Conceptual object priming and recognition memory require attention during encoding for both age groups.
- Priming effects were significant only for attended pictures.
- Young adults exhibited better recognition memory than older adults, who were slower overall.
Conclusions:
- Attention at encoding is a necessary condition for conceptual object priming and explicit memory.
- Age differences in memory performance are influenced by attentional processes during encoding.
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