title: Adult age differences in prospective memory in the laboratory: are they related to higher stress levels in the elderly?
abstract: To explain age deficits found in laboratory-based prospective memory (PM) tasks, it has recently been suggested that the testing situation per se may be more stressful for older adults, thereby impairing their performance. To test this assumption, subjective and physiological stress levels were assessed at several times during the experiment in 33 younger and 29 older adults. In addition, half of participants were randomized in a condition where they completed a relaxation intervention before performing a time-based PM task. Results confirmed the age deficit in laboratory PM. Subjective and physiological stress levels showed no age difference and no detrimental association with PM. The intervention successfully reduced stress levels in both age groups but had no effect on PM or the age deficit. In conclusion, data suggest that age deficits usually observed in laboratory PM may not be due to higher stress levels in the older adults.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Geneva Geneva, Switzerland ; Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Gerontology and Vulnerability and NCCR LIVES, University of Geneva Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ihle
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Geneva Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kliegel
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Geneva Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hering
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Geneva Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ballhausen
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Geneva Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Prune
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lagner
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Benusch
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Anja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cichon
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Annekathrin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zergiebel
authors.affiliation: Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Gerontology and Vulnerability and NCCR LIVES, University of Geneva Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Oris
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Geneva Geneva, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Katharina M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Schnitzspahn
keywords: age differences; laboratory testing situation; prospective memory; relaxation; stress