Module 11-3 Memory & Aging
Memory
-For some types of learning and
remembering, early adulthood is
known as the critical period.
-An experiment led by Thomas Crook
and Robin West revealed that an
individual is more likely to remember
more names after being introduced a
second or third time.
-Study shows that when given a jolt of
caffeine, recognition memory is better
for older adults early in the day rather
than late.
-Forgetfulness plays a role in memory;
for when asked to recall meaningless
information it is more likely for the
individual to have no recollection or
make more errors regarding the
information.
-One memory that remains strong is
Prospective memory.
• Prospective memory remains
strong when events help
trigger memories.
Name-Recalling vs.
Number of Introductions
As shown in this graph,
older age groups have a
harder time recalling the
names of people they have
been introduced to. This
name-recalling difficulty
causes the average person
to lose the ability to
remember someone’s
name after a certain
number of introductions.
From ages 18-39, a higher
percentage of people can
recall a name. However,
an average decline of
about 35% occurs after a
period of 70-90 years.
90
80
70
60
50
After three
introductions
40
After two
introductions
30
After one
introduction
20
10
0
Aging
-Experiment conducted by David Schonfield and Betty Anne Robertson
shows that there is no appreciable difference in recognition memory
between younger and older adults, although younger adults have better
recall.
-- Older people’s capacity to learn and remember skills also decline less
than their verbal recall
-- Right through our later years, we continue to diverge. Some 70-year-
olds perform below nearly all 20-year-olds; other 70-year-olds match or
outdo the average 20-year-old.
Word Recalling vs.
Recognition
25
As seen in this graph, the
ability to recognize words
between the ages of 20-60
remains stable and increases
because of their accumulation
of knowledge throughout life.
However, the recalling of
words from ages 20-60
steadily declines due to the
fact that memory loss
increases as age increases.
Therefore, the older you
become the easier the ability
to recognize new information,
but the recalling of new
information seems to decline
with age.
20
15
# of words
recognized is
stable
10
# of words
recalled
declines
5
0
0-20 20- 30- 50- 6030 40 60 70