Working memory and aging: a cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis using a self-ordered pointing task.
Age-related declines in working memory performance have been associated with deficits in inhibition, strategy use, processing speed, and monitoring. In the current study, cross-sectional and longitudinal methodologies were used to investigate the relative contribution of these components to age-related changes in working memory. In Experiment 1, a sample of 140 younger and 140 older adults completed an abstract design version of the Self-Ordered Pointing Task modeled after Shimamura and Jurica (1994). Experiment 1 revealed that only processing speed and monitoring explained age differences in SOPT performance. Participants in Experiment 2 were 53 older adults who returned 4 years after the initial testing and 53 young adults. A task that assessed the ability to generate and monitor an internal series of responses as compared to an externally imposed series of responses was also administered. Experiment 2 replicated the key findings from Experiment 1 and provided some further evidence for age-related internal monitoring difficulties. Furthermore, the exploratory longitudinal analysis revealed that older age and lower intellectual abilities tended to be associated with poorer performance on the SOPT at Time 2.
Chaytor
Naomi
N
Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman 99164-4820, USA.
Schmitter-Edgecombe
Maureen
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003710:Demography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007360:Intelligence / Q000502:physiology; D007361:Intelligence Tests; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011334:Proactive Inhibition; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology