Comprehension and retention of television programs by 20- and 60-year olds

Two experiments were conducted to examine age differences in adults' comprehension and retention of television programs; in both studies content (level of information) and learner (vocabulary level) variables were explored. Fifty older and 50 younger adults participated in each study. Results from Experiment I measures of free recall, probe recall, and recognition showed a significant age by vocabulary interaction; only older low-verbal adults were consistently poorer than their younger counterparts. Experiment II demonstrated that the locus of this interaction may be at initial program comprehension rather than solely at retrieval. The results were interpreted as demonstrating the importance of considering learner characteristics in adult cognitive developmental research.