Serial and strategic memory processes in younger and older adults

ABSTRACT

We investigated age-related differences in serial and strategic processing during the encoding and retrieval of high-value words. Younger and older adults were presented with word triads positioned left, center, and right, with one word being more valuable than the others. In Experiment 1, younger adults more effectively recalled the middle, high-value word, demonstrating enhanced strategic memory. Younger adults were more likely to initiate recall with a high-value word whereas older adults were equally likely to initiate recall with a left and high-value word. Additionally, older adults were more likely to recall words in their presented order while younger adults strategically recalled successive high-value words. However, both age groups demonstrated strategic processing in Experiments 2 and 3, even without prior knowledge of the high-value word’s location. Thus, serial and strategic processing may differ based on age and task demands, but strategic processing is preserved in older adults in certain contexts.

KEYWORDS:

• Memory
• aging
• serial processing
• strategic processing
• selectivity

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health (National Institute on Aging; Award Number R01 AG044335 to Alan Castel). The authors certify that they have no affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial or non-financial interest in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript. The experiments reported in this article were not preregistered. The stimuli and data have been made available on the Open Science Framework: https://osf.io/37vpe/?view_only=e17f122db6dd4f8bb1acc143b3356789. This work was presented at the 2022 Cognitive Aging Conference.