Age, Organization, and Memory: Effects of Presentation Rate and Rehearsal Strategy

Abstract

The relationship between free recall and organization was investigated using a 2(age) × 2(presentation rate) × 2(rehearsal strategy) analysis-of-variance design. A multitrial free-recall task was used with a 16-item list of unrelated words. Young and old adults practiced these materials overtly using either spontaneous (natural) rehearsal or a strategy increasing active rehearsal. Both increased rehearsal activity and increased study time were expected to improve senior adults' memory functioning. Analyses of rehearsal and recall measures indicated that elderly individuals had a general decrement in verbal memory. The role played by organizational strategies appears important only for young adults. For the elderly, both independent variables led to more enriched rehearsal activity and slightly greater subjective organization. No improvement in recall emerged, and large differences associated with age persisted. These findings suggest that organizational deficits do not account for differences in memory as a function of age.