Age differences in a controlled-lag recognition memory task

Sixty subjects, 30 young and 30 old, were treated for word recognition using a controlled-lag method. A significant age differences was found for both recognition and for a subsequent recall task. Young subjects were superior to old on both recognition and recall. The greater the lag between the two presentations of a word, the greater the number of errors for both age groups. Most errors were made towards the beginning of the list, with a sharp drop in the middle, and a slight increase in the end. The older people took more time to complete the recognition task than the young.