Aging and free recall for objects located in space

The free recall of objects located in space was examined in young and elderly respondents. The visual distinctiveness of the spatial context in which the stimulus objects were placed was varied systematically. Under conditions in which contextual cues were lacking (objects presented simply in a list format), or in which the context was visually bland (a two-dimensional, black-and-white map), the free-recall performance of elderly persons was significantly poorer than that of young adults. Under conditions in which visually distinctive cues were added to the spatial context (a colored map, a three-dimensional unpainted model, a three-dimensional painted model, or a large room), no difference in performance between young and elderly respondents was observed. Results support the hypothesis that visually distinctive cues produce greater depth of processing for elderly persons, facilitating free recall of objects located in space.