Age-related differences in metacognition for memory capacity and selectivity

Siegel, Alexander L. M.; Castel, Alan D.

doi:10.1080/09658211.2019.1645859

Cited by 32 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…In this study, we investigated how attentional and age-related differences in the dynamics of free recall in value-directed remembering tasks contribute to selectivity for valuable information. Specifically, we examined data sets from two published studies that used similar value-directed remembering tasks (Middlebrooks et al, 2017; Siegel & Castel, 2019). These studies focused on the encoding processes associated with strategic remembering, and we examined retrieval dynamics in these data sets to provide novel theoretical insight regarding strategic value-guided retrieval processes by examining PFR curves, an analysis of output order, lag-CRPs (Kahana, 1996), and how these tendencies relate to memory selectivity.…”

Section: The Current Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In Study 1, the retrieval tendencies contributing to selectivity for valuable information were preserved under divided attention. In Study 2, we analysed another published data set (Siegel & Castel, 2019) that used a similar value-directed remembering task as in Middlebrooks et al (2017), but examined age-related differences in the retrieval dynamics of value-directed remembering. We combined data from their two experiments where younger and older adults were presented with four lists of 20 items (paired with values 1–10) and either predicted how many words they would remember or how many points they would earn.…”

Section: Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

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The role of attention and ageing in the retrieval dynamics of value-directed remembering

Murphy

Castel

2021

Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology

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For memory to be efficient, people need to remember important information. This involves selective encoding and retrieval operations to maximize the recall of valuable information at the expense of less important information. While past research has examined this in terms of strategic encoding operations, we investigated differences in the dynamics of retrieval in value-directed remembering tasks with younger adults under full and divided attention during encoding as well as in older adults. Participants typically initiated recall with the first presented, last presented, or highest-valued words and also strategically organized retrieval according to information value such that high-value words tended to be recalled before low-value words. However, the average value of older adults’ first recalled word was greater than that of younger adults, likely contributing to their enhanced selectivity. Additionally, there were no differences in lag-conditional-response probabilities in younger adults under full or divided attention but older adults showed impairments in the retrieval of items sharing contextual features with nearby items while younger adults relied more on temporal-contextual cues to recall words. Together, the present study suggests that both strategic encoding and strategic retrieval operations contribute to selectivity for valuable information and older adults may be able to maximize retrieval operations despite displaying impairments in temporal binding during encoding and an overall recall deficit.

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Section: The Current Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of attention and ageing in the retrieval dynamics of value-directed remembering

Murphy

Castel

2021

Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The vast literature on performance monitoring during memory and learning tasks is somewhat conflicting (Daniels et al, 2009;Hertzog and Dunlosky, 2011;Siegel and Castel, 2019). Some studies have found that older adults overestimated their ability to remember word pairs and over-estimated their perceptual abilities (Palmer et al, 2014;Siegel and Castel, 2019). Additional studies have reported diminished error awareness in older adults, supported by evidence of age-related deficits in neural response to errors, for tasks requiring close performance monitoring (Harty et al, 2017;Sim et al, 2020).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Awareness of Performance on a Functional Cognitive Performance-Based Assessment Across the Adult Lifespan

2021

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As people age, their cognitive skills and ability to complete complex instrumental activities of daily living often decline in subtle ways. Older adults who are aware of these slight cognitive and functional changes spontaneously adapt and implement strategies to maximize performance. On the other hand, older adults with limited self-awareness are less likely to adjust performance or initiate compensatory strategies as they may not recognize the need to do so. This places them at higher risk of functional decline and loss of independence. Research on awareness of functional performance in healthy adults is, however, limited, and there is a paucity of assessment tools available to address questions of awareness and strategy use in functional tasks. We used the Weekly Calendar Planning Activity (WCPA) – a performance-based assessment of functional cognition including measures of awareness and strategy use – to investigate differences in performance, awareness, and strategy use across the adult lifespan. The WCPA requires examinees to schedule appointments into a weekly calendar while following rules designed to increase task demands. Healthy adults (n=342) from ages 18–92 were observed for strategy use and error recognition, while a post-test interview probed participants’ reported strategy use and estimation of accuracy. The discrepancy between participant estimation and actual accuracy provided a measure of online awareness of performance where a larger estimation discrepancy indicated over-estimation of performance. Performance on the WCPA declined across the adult lifespan. Older adults were less likely to use self-monitoring strategies and used less effective strategies overall. Overestimation was associated with use of fewer strategies and lower accuracy in all age groups. Importantly, twice as many older adults overestimated compared to younger adults. Furthermore, the subset of older adults who had good awareness of performance was more likely to use effective strategies, to recognize errors, and achieved accuracy on par with their younger counterparts. Our results emphasize the importance of examining self-awareness of performance and analyzing the strategies used to perform a complex functional task. This information can provide a foundation for early detection of functional decline in aging and for designing interventions to maximize functional independence in aging.

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“…Another factor that seems to influence confidence bias and metacognitive efficiency is age. Indeed, several studies suggest an influence of normal aging on cognitive and metacognitive abilities (Palmer et al, 2014;Siegel and Castel, 2019). Healthy older adults have been shown to be overconfident in their performance compared to young participants (Dodson et al, 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Contributions of age and clinical depression to metacognitive performance

Culot

Lauwers²,

Fantini‐Hauwel

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Background: Pivotal for adaptive behaviour is the ability to judge whether our performance is correct or not, even in the absence of external feedback. This metacognitive ability can be measured using confidence ratings. Past research suggests that overall confidence (confidence bias) is lower in Major Depressive Disorder (MDD). Less is known about the ability of MDD patients to discriminate correct from incorrect performance (metacognitive efficiency). Methods: The perceptual metacognitive performance of 17 aged MDD patients (62-89 years) was tested and compared to an age matched as well as a young control group (21-28 years). The younger control group was included to disentangle the effects of age and MDD on metacognitive performance. Indeed, earlier studies found an increased confidence bias but a decreased metacognitive efficiency with age. Results: Our results showed no difference in confidence bias nor in metacognitive efficiency between MDD patients and age-matched control participants. Importantly, aged participants, including both aged controls and MDD patients, demonstrated lower metacognitive efficiency compared to young participants. This metacognitive deficit found in aged participants was specifically driven by an overconfidence on incorrect trials. Conclusions: The relation between MDD and confidence bias may not be as robust as previously claimed. Furthermore, our results point to the importance of age rather than MDD for metacognitive efficiency. This could have important clinical implications as the observation of lower metacognitive abilities in patients is not necessarily caused by the depression. Limitations: Sample size was relatively small. Some clinical variables such as anxiety, or medication were not controlled.

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Age-related differences in metacognition for memory capacity and selectivity

Cited by 32 publications

References 47 publications

The role of attention and ageing in the retrieval dynamics of value-directed remembering

The role of attention and ageing in the retrieval dynamics of value-directed remembering

Awareness of Performance on a Functional Cognitive Performance-Based Assessment Across the Adult Lifespan

Contributions of age and clinical depression to metacognitive performance

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