Fine-grained changes to implicit memory for language processing across adulthood

Traditionally, age-related changes to implicit memory have been considered minor or non-existent, especially when compared to changes to explicit cognition. Similarly, linguistic tasks relying on explicit abilities frequently show substantial age-related impairments, while implicit measures do not. Whether this dichotomy is ecologically valid, and whether fine-grained changes to implicit memory occur across the adult lifespan, nevertheless remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate implicit memory functioning in an age-continuous sample and relate implicit memory to language processing.

A large age-continuous sample (n = 148) completed a set of explicit and implicit cognitive tasks followed by a structural priming task. Age-related changes to cognitive and linguistic task performance were assessed, and individual cognitive scores were related to linguistic effects.

Greater age was associated with lower explicit but not implicit cognitive performance in line with past research. Close inspection nevertheless revealed reliable age-related changes on some- though not all-aspects of implicit memory. Linguistic performance remained stable with age, and was unaffected by either implicit or explicit memory scores.

This study supports the notion that fine-grained changes to some aspects of implicit memory result from aging. However, no changes to linguistic processing were found and performance was unrelated to memory scores, suggesting older adults either have intact linguistic processing or successful compensation mechanisms for language.