Activity Memory and Aging: The Role of Motor Retrieval and Strategic Processing

This study examined the role of retrieval and encoding mechanisms in the magnitude of age differences in the recall of subject-performed tasks (SPTs). Eighty older (60-79 years old) and 80 younger adults (18-26 years old) were tested in 1 of 4 conditions by varying modality at both encoding and retrieval. The role of list organization in reducing age differences in SPT recall was also examined. The results suggested that older adults' SPT recall improves when motor processing is enhanced by list organization. Age differences in recall were reduced for an organized list when motor processing occurred during retrieval or encoding, but age differences in recall of an unorganized list remained under most conditions. Discrepant results in the literature concerning the magnitude of age differences in SPT recall could be due in part to differences in list characteristics, such as organization, that have not been fully explored.