Aging and the use of perceptual and temporal information in source memory tasks.

Abstract

A number of studies have reported age differences in memory for the source of information. S.A. Ferguson, S. Hashtroudi, and M.K. Johnson (1992) suggested that older adults do not efficiently use multiple distinctive characteristics of sources to distinguish between sources in source memory tasks. In the study reported here, participants heard information from 2 sources and later decided whether test items had been presented by Source A, by Source B, or were new. The distinctiveness of both perceptual and temporal characteristics of sources were independently manipulated. Older adults benefited more than young adults from multiple distinctive characteristics of sources. These results question the generality of S.A. Ferguson et al.'s hypothesis.

Further evidence on the similarity of memory processes in the process dissociation procedure and in source monitoring

“…In particular, they do not prove that the process dissociation model is superior to the source monitoring model. First, his results conform to prior research on aging and source monitoring: Both item and source memory decrease with age (e.g., Bayen & Murnane, 1996;Henkel, Johnson, & Del.eonardis, 1998;Light, Lavoie, Valencia-Laver, Albertson Owens, & Mead, 1992). Thus, there is simply no reason to expect invariance of item and/or source memory throughout age groups.…”

Equivalent irrelevant-sound effects for old and young adults

“…Besides, some of the alleged age-related differences in interference control may be attributable to age differences in source memory rather than in inhibitory capacity. For example, the finding that old adults are more likely than young adults to recall more inserted distractor words in a subsequent text comprehension or memory test (Carlson et al, 1995;Connelly et al, 1991;Li et al, 1998) may also be supported by poorer source memory in old adults (Bayen & Murnane, 1996), resulting in target-distractor confusions at the time of output. These confusions may be more likely when targets and distractors are more similar to each other.…”

Adult age differences in binding actors and actions in memory for events

“…Thus, the particular way an action is performed may provide clues regarding the physical appearance of the person carrying out that action. Given the evidence that age differences in external-sourcemonitoring ability are sometimes reduced when distinctive perceptual cues as to source are available (Bayen & Murnane, 1996;Ferguson, Hashtroudi, & Johnson, 1992;Johnson, De Leonardis, Hashtroudi, & Ferguson, 1995;Spencer & Raz, 1995), it remains possible that the richer cues to source associated with more complex actions may allow older adults to perform as well as young adults at remembering which actor performed a given action.…”