Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 28, 2026
09:13
A Real-world What-Where-When Memory Test
Published on: May 16, 2017
12.2K
Who, when, and where? Age-related differences on a new memory test
Catherine A Sumida1, Heather M Holden2, Emily J Van Etten1
1Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, California 92182, USA.
Learning & Memory (Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y.)
|December 17, 2015
Summary
Older adults showed significant age-related memory decline on a new face-place association test. This study highlights challenges in remembering who, when, and where information over time.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Human Development
Background:
- Memory function often declines with age.
- Understanding specific deficits in associative memory is crucial for interventions.
- New, portable memory tests are needed for diverse settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-related differences in memory for faces, places, and their associations.
- To evaluate a novel memory test assessing "who," "when," and "where" information.
- To explore the construct validity of this new memory assessment tool.
Main Methods:
- Participants completed a new memory test involving remembering sequences of face-place pairs.
- Performance was compared between older and younger adult groups.
- Standardized neuropsychological tests were used for correlational analysis.
Main Results:
- Older adults recalled significantly fewer correct face-place pairs in the correct sequence than young adults.
- Preliminary correlational analyses supported the construct validity of the new memory test.
- The test demonstrated sensitivity to age-related memory differences.
Conclusions:
- Age-related decline affects the ability to form and retrieve associations between people and places.
- The developed portable memory test can rapidly assess these age-related changes.
- Findings provide insights into temporal and spatial memory deficits in aging populations.
