Directed forgetting and aging: the role of retrieval processes, processing speed, and proactive interference.
The directed forgetting effect obtained with the item method is supposed to depend on both selective rehearsal of to-be-remembered (TBR) items and attentional inhibition of to-be-forgotten (TBF) items. In this study, we investigated the locus of the directed forgetting deficit in older adults by exploring the influence of recollection and familiarity-based retrieval processes on age-related differences in directed forgetting. Moreover, we explored the influence of processing speed, short-term memory capacity, thought suppression tendencies, and sensitivity to proactive interference on performance. The results indicated that older adults' directed forgetting difficulties are due to decreased recollection of TBR items, associated with increased automatic retrieval of TBF items. Moreover, processing speed and proactive interference appeared to be responsible for the decreased recall of TBR items.
Hogge
Michaël
M
Department of Cognitive Sciences, Neuropsychology Unit, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
Adam
Stéphane
S
Collette
Fabienne
F
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D001288:Attention; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D011939:Mental Recall; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009949:Orientation; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D011214:Practice, Psychological; D011334:Proactive Inhibition; D011594:Psychometrics; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D011930:Reaction Time; D012016:Reference Values; D012691:Serial Learning; D013850:Thinking; D014706:Verbal Learning