Adult Memory

Question 1

STM Age Differences

Answer 1

Backward digit span (e.g. 72681 —> 18627)

Alpha span task where participants hear list of words to remember in the correct alphabetical order

Older adults perform worse on these tasks than young (e.g. Hayslip and Kennelly, 1982; Craik, 1986)

Question 2

Define Near Transfer

Answer 2

Improvement in cognitive task similar to that trained e.g. play/learn guitar

Question 3

Define Far Transfer

Answer 3

Improvement in cognitive capability more generally (brain training programs are built on the premise of far transfer) e.g. better at music generally like piano, saxophone

Question 4

Jaeggi et al (2008) dual n-back

Answer 4

Training on a difficult WM task (dual n-back aka active processing task, point out where a digit was how many places back, keep track, seen it before, keep lots of information in your mind) for 8, 12, 17, or 19 days versus no contact control groups

Training group improved on n-back and standardised tasks measuring general fluid intelligence aka the more time training, the greater the gains in Gf. Significant after 17 days

Question 5

Gathercole et al (2019) WM training

Answer 5

Potential therapeutic benefits as well as cognitive enhancement possibilities.

Training only works if developments new cognitive routines. Transfer only occurs if routines are applicable to other tasks. Training will not affect WM capacity directly but could affect skills or strategies to improve WM scores. Only transfer to other cognitive tasks where the same skills/strategies are useful e.g. training teaches you to rehearse so is a transferable skill

Question 6

Procedural Memory (skills e.g. swimming/tying a knot)

Answer 6

Generally preserved in HEALTHY ageing. Older adults are often impaired at acquiring new motor skills

In a lab setting, participants perform a novel and challenging task on repeated trials over one or more sessions. Learning is indicated by an improvement in speed/accuracy

Breitenstein et al (1996) compared skill learning in young and old adults using 2 different tasks…
1. Simple tracking (older adults were less accurate than young but showed same rate of improvement)
2. Mirror-reversed tracking (complex) (older adults were less accurate AND were slower to improve)

Question 7

Episodic Memory (events/past experiences)

Answer 7

Older people are less able than young adults to…
1. Recall the specific details of a story they have been told
2. Recall lists of words or sentences e.g. Light and Singh (1987)
3. Remember where and when a particular event took place or where they have encountered something before aka SOURCE MONITORING e.g. who came up with an idea in the group, where it came from

Question 8

Kersten et al (2008) ABC eyewitness

Answer 8

A opens a jar.
B staples some papers together.
C puts on some headphones.

Clips included…
Actor repeating the same action (old pairing)
Actor performing a different action (novel pairing e.g. Actor B puts on some headphones)

Asked ‘did this person perform this action?’

Older adults have problems distinguishing old and novel pairing and are more likely to attribute an action to the wrong person (less reliable eyewitnesses)

Question 9

Mitchell et al (2003) misleading information

Answer 9

Phase 1 witness an event on video e.g. a burglary
Phase 2 questions about the event contain a ‘fact’ that didn’t actually happen e.g. ‘before leaving the house the thief checked the gun at his waist (DIDN’T HAPPEN) and looked both ways to see if anyone was watching. After he got out the door, did he begin to run?’
Phase 3 given list of statements about the event e.g. ‘the thief had a gun’, ‘it was raining’ where did you encounter this information? Decide if seen in video only, questions only, neither or both and rate confidence in this judgement

Older adults more likely to remember ‘seeing’ events in the video that were only suggested to them (misattributions) take on board because not sure in the first place (less able to attribute the information to the correct source)

LESS confident in their correct attributions than young but MORE confident in their misattributions

Question 10

Whitley and Greenberg (1986) jurors

Answer 10

Witness confidence is related to juror’s perceptions aka jurors are influenced by witness confidence

Question 11

Loftus and Palmer (1974) car crash

Answer 11

Asked speed of the crash
Leading questions/verbs
Bumped vs crashed