Retrieval time from different memory stores.
Two experiments were carried out to measure age-related differences in speed of error-free recall by normal adults. The major results were that: (a) the time taken to read a word aloud (retrieval from lexical memory) does not increase appreciably until subjects reach their 60s; (b) the time taken to recall a verbal item just attended to (retrieval from primary memory) increases steadily throughout the adult years, and most markedly between the sixth and seventh decades; and, (c) the time taken to recall recent verbal information outside the span of attention (retrieval from secondary memory) also increases as a function of chronological age, at a relatively rapid rate and most markedly between the fifth and sixth decades. The effects are independent of the number of stimulus-response alternatives.
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D011939:Mental Recall; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors; D014705:Verbal Behavior