SPONTANEOUS USE OF MNEMONICS BY ELDERLY INDIVIDUALS

Abstract

This study was prompted by the confusion that exists in the literature concerning the effectiveness of mnemonic training programs for elderly adults. Our purpose was to understand what kinds of mnemonic activities might occur spontaneously in standard (or “do‐nothing") control groups of older individuals. Elderly adults in two studies were asked to: (1) predict how successful they might be in a simple memorization task; (2) memorize a short list of common words; (3) report how they actually carried out the memory task. In the second study, reports of strategy usage were also given before the memorization task and compared with reports of strategies actually used. Summaries of the reported mnemonic strategies are presented. The relationships between strategy reports, memory performance, and predicted memory performance are examined.

Predicted memory performance and actual memory performance were not strongly related. Reports of using imagery were relatively rare. Persons using deep processing strategies generally but not always recalled more items than users of shallow processing strategies. There was wide variability in types of strategies employed, actual memory performance, and in effectiveness of usage of particular strategies. Significant numbers of elderly adults spontaneously employed relatively sophisticated mnemonics, many emphasizing verbal strategies and personal experiences. The majority of subjects reported actually using the strategies they had predicted they would use. Imagability of items had its maximum effect among users of deep processing strategies.

This study points out possible interpretive problems associated with performance of “do‐nothing” or standard control groups and offers fruitful future research questions concerning effective acquisition of mnemonics by older adults.