Inhibitory deficits in older adults: list-method directed forgetting revisited

J Exp Psychol Learn Mem Cogn. 2006 Mar;32(2):290-300. doi: 10.1037/0278-7393.32.3.290.

Abstract

In list-method directed forgetting, participants are cued to intentionally forget a previously studied list while remembering a subsequently presented 2nd list. Results from prior research are inconclusive on whether older adults show deficits in this type of task. In 3 experiments, the authors reexamined the issue and compared younger and older adults' responsiveness to the forget cue. Across the experiments, the forget cue was varied within and between participants, the 2 lists were unrelated and related to each other, and recall of the lists was required simultaneously and successively. In none of the 3 experiments did any age-related difference in directed forgetting performance emerge. List-method directed forgetting is assumed to reflect retrieval inhibition. The present results thus challenge the proposal of a general inhibitory deficit in older adults' memory performance.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Age Factors
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Cues
  • Female
  • Geriatric Assessment*
  • Humans
  • Inhibition, Psychological*
  • Male
  • Memory Disorders / physiopathology*
  • Mental Recall / physiology*
  • Middle Aged
  • Paired-Associate Learning / physiology
  • Retention, Psychology / physiology*