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Integrative and semantic relations equally alleviate age-related associative memory deficits

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Badham, Stephen P., Estes, Zachary and Maylor, Elizabeth A.. (2011) Integrative and semantic relations equally alleviate age-related associative memory deficits. Psychology and Aging, Vol.27 (No.1). pp. 141-152. ISSN 0882-7974

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0023924

Abstract

Two experiments compared effects of integrative and semantic relations between pairs of words on lexical and memory processes in old age. Integrative relations occur when two dissimilar and unassociated words are linked together to form a coherent phrase (e.g., horse-doctor). In Experiment 1, older adults completed a lexical-decision task where prime and target words were related either integratively or semantically. The two types of relation both facilitated responses compared to a baseline condition, demonstrating that priming can occur in older adults with minimal preexisting associations between primes and targets. In Experiment 2, young and older adults completed a cued recall task with integrative, semantic, and unrelated word pairs. Both integrative and semantic pairs showed significantly smaller age differences in associative memory compared to unrelated pairs. Integrative relations facilitated older adults' memory to a similar extent as semantic relations despite having few preexisting associations in memory. Integratability of stimuli is therefore a new factor that reduces associative deficits in older adults, most likely by supporting encoding and retrieval mechanisms.

Item Type:

Journal Article

Subjects:

B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology

Divisions:

Faculty of Science > Psychology

Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):

Memory -- Age factors, Memory in old age, Memory disorders in old age, Association of ideas, Semantic memory

Journal or Publication Title:

Psychology and Aging

Publisher:

American Psychological Association

ISSN:

0882-7974

Official Date:

October 2011

Dates:

Date	Event
October 2011	Published

Volume:

Vol.27

Number:

No.1

Page Range:

pp. 141-152

Identification Number:

10.1037/a0023924

Status:

Peer Reviewed

Publication Status:

Published

References:

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