title: Associative symmetry and item availability: evidence for qualitative age differences in acquisition strategies.
abstract: The concept of associative symmetry was investigated under three instructional conditions with standard instructional conditions producing associative asymmetry in old subjects and symmetry in young subjects. Analysis of response-stimulus item availability for young and old subjects led to the suggestion that young and old subjects utilize qualitatively different acquisition strategies to process information and that deficits in PA learning in old subjects may begin in the associative learning stage.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging; D001245:Association Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D014936:Word Association Tests