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Associative-memory deficit as a function of age and stimuli serial position
Jonathan Guez1,2, Rotem Saar-Ashkenazy3, Yael Poznanski1
1Department of Psychology, Achva Academic College, Beer-Tuvia, Israel.
Plos One
|August 12, 2022
Summary
Older adults show associative memory decline, particularly for recent information, due to increased false alarms, suggesting working memory (WM) impairment. This impacts how aging affects memory retrieval.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Gerontology
Background:
- Aging is associated with associative memory decline, potentially linked to working memory (WM) deficits.
- Primacy and recency effects influence memory retrieval based on item serial position (SSP).
- Previous research has not fully explored age-related differences in associative memory across different SSPs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-related differences in associative memory recognition.
- To examine the impact of stimuli serial position (SSP) on item and associative memory in younger and older adults.
- To determine if working memory (WM) impairment contributes to associative memory decline in aging.
Main Methods:
- Recruited 22 younger and 22 older adults for a memory recognition task.
- Manipulated retrieval based on SSP (beginning, middle, end) and memory type (item vs. association).
- Analyzed performance for item and associative recognition across age groups and SSPs.
Main Results:
- Both age groups exhibited an associative deficit at recency positions, which was additive.
- Older adults showed a greater associative deficit at recency positions compared to younger adults.
- Increased false alarm rates in older adults at recency positions accounted for the associative memory decline.
Conclusions:
- Aging impairs associative memory, particularly for recently presented information.
- Working memory (WM) binding processes are implicated in the associative memory decline observed in older adults.
- The findings highlight the role of WM in age-related memory deficits.
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