Directed forgetting in working memory: age-related differences.
This study explored the effects of ageing on working memory by means of the directed forgetting procedure designed by Reed (1970). Memory for a letter trigram was compared in conditions where it was either presented alone (single-item), or followed by a second trigram to be recalled (interference), or followed by a second trigram to be forgotten (directed forgetting). The results clearly indicated that elderly participants inhibited the no-longer-relevant information less efficiently (recall in the single-item condition - recall in the directed forgetting condition), as predicted by the model of Hasher and Zacks (1988). However, the results also demonstrated that sensitivity to interference (recall in the single-item condition - recall in the interference condition) increased in the condition in which no inhibition was directly required.
Andrés
Pilar
P
Department of Psychology, University of Plymouth, UK. pandres@plymouth.ac.uk
Van der Linden
Martial
M
Parmentier
Fabrice B R
FB
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D014825:Vocabulary