The QuadMax Task: A Novel Parametric Manipulation of Associative Memory Load in Adults Across the Lifespan

Abstract

Whereas adults across the lifespan can accurately recognize previously encountered items, they are worse at remembering precisely which items were previously seen together, and this associative memory deficit is exacerbated in older adults. However, the literature is dominated by studies of pair-wise associations, with very few examinations of higher associative loads and none in older adults. In the present study, 190 adults (18-83 years) completed a novel recognition task in which they studied word pairs, triplets, and quadruplets and were later tested on their memory for repeated, recombined, and novel word sets. Results revealed significantly more incorrect responses to recombined sets that increased from pairs to triplets to quadruplets, with older age groups making significantly more of these associative memory errors than younger age groups. Participants also made significantly more correct responses to repeated pairs compared to triplets and quadruplets, but these recognition memory effects did not vary by age group. These findings replicate and extend the paired-associative memory literature by demonstrating that associative memory deficits increase both with demands on binding processes at higher associative loads and with aging. They further demonstrate the feasibility of manipulating and assessing associative memory load using our novel QuadMax task.