Age-related schema reliance of judgments of learning in predicting source memory

Abstract

Source memory refers to mental processes of encoding and making attributions to the origin of information. We investigated schematic effects on source attributions of younger and older adults for different schema-based types of items, and their schema-utilization of judgments of learning (JOLs) in estimating source memory. Participants studied statements presented by two speakers either as a doctor or a lawyer: those in the schema-after-encoding condition were informed their occupation only before retrieving, while those of schema-before-encoding were presented the schematic information prior to study. Immediately after learning every item, they made judgments of the likelihood for it to be correctly attributed to the original source later. In the test, they fulfilled a task of source attributing. The results showed a two-edged effect of schemas: schema reliance improved source memory for schema-consistent items while impaired that for schema-inconsistent items, even with schematic information presented prior to encoding. Compared with younger adults, older adults benefited more from schema-based compensatory mechanisms. Both younger and older adults could make JOLs based on before-encoding schematic information, and the schema-based JOLs were more accurate in predicting source memory than JOLs made without schema support. However, even in the schema-after-encoding condition, older adults were able to make metacognitive judgments as accurately as younger adults did, though they did have great impairments in source memory itself.

Metamemory expectancy illusion and schema-consistent guessing in source monitoring.

“…Konopka and Benjamin (2009) found higher JOLs for items presented by their expected source compared with their (somewhat) unexpected source. Similarly, Shi, Tang, and Liu (2012) found that participants predicted source-identification performance (i.e., the likelihood of attributing the item to the correct source) to be better for expected than unexpected source–item pairs. Both studies did, however, not assess JOSs.…”

Multielement Episodic Encoding in Young and Older Adults

“…We designed this study to present naturalistic stimuli that would be encountered in everyday life, reasoning that participants should be able to leverage existing knowledge about the occupations, objects, and locations to optimally perform the task. Previous work has shown memory benefits when material is related to or consistent with prior knowledge (e.g., Gilboa & Marlatte, 2017; Brod, Lindenberger, Werkle-Bergner, & Shing, 2015; DeWitt, Knight, Hicks, & Ball, 2012; Anderson, 1981), and notably, this schema consistency can mitigate age-related memory deficits (Castel, 2005; Shi, Tang, & Liu, 2012). Nevertheless, deficits were quite apparent in the current study.…”

Influences of appearance-behaviour congruity on memory and social judgements

“…Older adults could be particularly sensitive to congruity in the context of social interactions. Connecting to prior work, older adults may indeed make better use of trait diagnostic information than young in some situations (Hess & Auman, 2001; Hess et al, 2005), while sometimes using schemas more than young (Mather & Johnson, 2003; Shi et al, 2012) to optimize the likelihood of positive social interactions.…”

“…While young adults rely on schemas when making decisions (Hicks & Cockman, 2003; Marsh, Cook, & Hicks, 2006), older adults may rely on schemas to a greater extent (Hess & Follett, 1994; Mather & Johnson, 2003; Shi, Tang, & Liu, 2012). Older adults also activate more stereotyped information than young to explain social situations (Radvansky, Lynchard, & von Hippel, 2009) and process incongruent behavioral information less (Hess & Tate, 1991).…”