Aging and functional spatial relations in comprehension and memory. Brief report

Research suggests that, relative to younger adults, older adults devote a greater proportion of their discourse processing to the situation model level. This study assessed whether this is due, in part, to a preserved ability to focus on functionally appropriate information. The focus was on spatial relations. Both reading time and recognition data showed superior performance for functional over nonfunctional information, and this functional effect was similar in younger and older adults. This is consistent with the idea that older adults' ability to process information at the situation model level is relatively well preserved. (Original abstract)