Investigating subjective use of self-initiated internal memory strategy use across the healthy adult lifespan

A-019 Predictors of Memory Strategy Use in Healthy Older Adults

Objective:In normative aging, there is a decline in associative memory that appears to relate to self-reported everyday use of general memory strategies (Guerrero et al., 2021). Self-reported general strategy use is also strongly associated with self-reported memory abilities (Frankenmolen et al., 2017), which, in turn, are weakly associated with objective memory performance (Crumley et al., 2014). Associative memory abilities and strategy use appear to differ by gender, with women outperforming men and using more memory strategies (Hertzog et al., 2019). In this study, we examine how actual performance and self-reported use of specific strategies on an associative memory task relate to each other and to general, everyday strategy use, and whether these differ by gender.Participants and Methods:An international sample of older adults (N = 566, 53% female, aged 60-80) were administered a demographic questionnaire and online tasks, including 1. the Multifactorial Memory Questionnaire (MMQ) which measures self-reported memory ability, satisfaction, and everyday strategy use (Troyer & Rich, 2018); and 2. the Face-Name Task which measures associative memory (Troyer et al., 2011). Participants were also asked about specific strategies that were used to complete the Face-Name Task.Results:On the Face-Name Task, participants who reported using more strategies performed better (F(3, 562) = 6.51, p < 0.001, n2 = 0.03), with those who reported using three or four strategies performing best (p < .05). There was a significant difference in performance based on the type of strategy used (p(2, 563) = 11.36, p < 0.001, n2 = 0.04), with individuals who relied on a “past experiences/knowledge” strategy performing best (p < .01). Women (M = 0.79, SD = 0.19) outperformed men (M = 0.71, SD = 0.20), f(545) = -4.64, p < 0.001, d = -0.39. No gender differences were found in the number (X2(3, N = 564) = 2.06, p = 0.561) or type (x2(2, N = 564) = 5.49, p = 0.064) of strategies used on the Face-Name Task. Only participants who reported using no strategies on the Face-Name Task had lower scores on the MMQ everyday strategy use subscale (p < .05). A multiple-regression model was used to investigate the relative contributions of the number of strategies used on the Face-Name Task, MMQ everyday strategy subscale score, gender, age, education, and psychological distress to Face-Name Task performance. The only significant predictors in the model were gender (B = 0.08, t(555) = 4.55, p < 0.001) and use of two or more strategies (B = 0.07, f(555) = 2.82, p = 0.005).Conclusions:Reports of greater self-initiated strategy use, and use of a semantic strategy in particular, related to better performance on an associative memory test in older adults. Self-initiated, task-specific strategy use also related to everyday strategy use. The findings extend past work on gender differences to show that women outperform men on an associative memory task but that this is unlikely to be due to self-reported differences in strategy use. The results suggest that self-reported strategy use predicts actual associative memory performance and should be considered in clinical practice.

Aging and self-reported internal and external memory strategy uses: The role of executive functioning

ABSTRACTDeficits in working memory are pervasive, resistant to remediation and significantly impact a persons ability to perform activities of daily living. Internal strategies are effective for improving working memory. Learning style preferences may influence the use of various internal working memory strategies. This study compares the use of internal working memory strategies among four different learning style preferences; converger, diverger, assimilator and accommodator. A non-experimental group design was used to compare the use of internal working memory strategies and learning style preferences among 110 adults. There were some significant differences in the types of strategies used according to learning style preferences. Knowing the learning style preference of clients may help occupational therapists better tailor cognitive rehabilitation treatments to meet the client's needs.

Memory strategies promote independence during aging. We systematically reviewed literature on correlates and predictors of internal and external memory strategy use for older adults. Of 212 articles identified, 29 met inclusion criteria. Overall, increasing age was associated with decreasing internal but increasing external memory strategy use. Females reported more external memory strategy use, though findings were mixed regarding internal memory strategies. Clinical status appeared to alter the relationship between cognition and internal and external memory strategy use. There were mixed results regarding the relationship between memory strategy use and education, psychological functioning, and health variables. In addition to identifying areas for future research, we provide recommendations to develop primary prevention strategies for intervention and promote successful aging.

Older adults demonstrate notable individual differences in associative memory. Here, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) was used to investigate whether intrinsic brain activity at rest could predict individual differences in associative memory among cognitively healthy older adults. Regional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) analysis and a correlation-based resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) approach were used to analyze data acquired from 102 cognitively normal elderly who completed the paired-associative learning test (PALT) and underwent fMRI scans. Participants were divided into two groups based on the retrospective self-reports on whether or not they utilized encoding strategies during the PALT. The behavioral results revealed better associative memory performance in the participants who reported utilizing memory strategies compared with participants who reported not doing so. The fMRI results showed that higher associative memory performance was associated with greater functional connectivity between the right superior frontal gyrus and the right posterior cerebellum lobe in the strategy group. The regional ALFF values in the right superior frontal gyrus were linked to associative memory performance in the no-strategy group. These findings suggest that the regional spontaneous fluctuations and functional connectivity during rest may subserve the individual differences in the associative memory in older adults, and that this is modulated by self-initiated memory strategy use.

We explored whether control processes could account for age-related differences in internal strategy use, which in turn would contribute to episodic and working memory decline in aging. Young and older adults completed the internal strategy subscale of the Metamemory in Adulthood (MIA) questionnaire, a free-recall task (FRT), a reading span task (RST), and 3 executive control tasks (the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, the Initial Letter Fluency Test, and the Digit Symbol Substitution Test) allowing us to calculate a composite index of control processes. Results indicated that both self-reported internal strategy use and control processes index accounted for a significant proportion of the age-related variance in the FRT and the RST. However, once the control processes index was controlled for, variance in both the FRT and RST explained by internal strategy use were significantly reduced. Additionally, age-related variance in internal strategy use was mediated by the control processes index. These results suggest a cascade model in which individual control level would mediate age-related differences in internal strategy use, which in turn would mediate age-related differences in episodic and working memory performance. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

To complete a systematic review of internal memory strategy use with people who have brain injury and provide practitioners with information that will impact their clinical work. A systematic literature search to identify published intervention studies that evaluated an internal memory strategy or technique to improve memory function of individuals with brain injury. Relevant data from reviewed articles were coded using 4 clinical questions targeting participants, interventions, research methods, and outcomes. A comprehensive search identified 130 study citations and abstracts. Forty-six met inclusion/exclusion criteria and were systematically reviewed. Visual imagery was most frequently studied, in isolation or in combination with other internal strategies. Despite significant variability in research methods and outcomes across studies, the evidence provides impetus for use of internal memory strategies with individuals following brain injury. Individuals with traumatic brain injury may benefit from internal memory strategy use, and clinicians should consider internal memory strategy instruction as part of intervention plans. Further research needs to better delineate influences on intervention candidacy and outcomes.

Background: The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the association between habitual physical activity engagement and perceived controllability of memory function. Secondary objectives included the evaluation of physical activity on memory strategy use, and whether the latter mediates the relationship between physical activity on memory controllability.Methods: Two-hundred and nine young adults (Mage=25 y) completed a brief survey evaluating physical activity (Physical Activity Vital Signs Questionnaire), memory strategy use (Memory Functioning Questionnaire), and memory controllability (Memory Controllability Inventory). Results: Physical activity was not associated with memory strategy use (β=0.68; 95% CI: -1.25,2.62; P=0.48), nor was memory strategy use associated with memory controllability. Physical activity was consistently associated with various attributes of memory controllability, including Present Ability (β=1.10; 95% CI: 0.07, 2.12; P=0.03), Potential Improvement (β=0.84; 95% CI:0.05, 1.63; P=0.03), Effort Utility (β=0.87; 95% CI: 0.11, 1.61; P=0.02), Inevitable Decrement (β=-1.19; 95% CI: -2.19, -0.19; P=0.02) and Alzheimer’s likelihood (β=-1.21; 95% CI: -2.29,-0.12; P=0.02).Conclusion: Physical activity is consistently associated with greater perceptions of memory controllability. Future longitudinal and experimental work on this topic is warranted to evaluate if physical activity can foster an individual’s ability to modify their behavior and cognitions to enhance and preserve memory function.

Despite the inclusion of memory strategy training in many interventions for amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), little research has directly examined knowledge and use of memory strategies in aMCI and their relationship to memory performance in order to guide the development of targeted interventions. The present study aimed to compare strategy knowledge and use between an aMCI and a healthy older adult (HOA) sample, and to determine the contribution of strategy knowledge and use to memory performance in each of these groups. The sample comprised 37 aMCI and 52 HOA participants aged over 60 years. All participants completed questionnaires to assess strategy knowledge and self-reported use of internal and external strategies in everyday life. In addition, strategy use was observed on the measures of retrospective and prospective memory performance (the CVLT-II and the CAMPROMPT). The aMCI group demonstrated decreased strategy knowledge and observed use of internal strategies, although equivalent observed use of external strategies compared with the HOA group. Furthermore, they reported equivalent use of both internal and external strategies. Observed use of strategies was significantly associated with retrospective memory performance for both groups and prospective memory performance for the aMCI group, supporting the inclusion of strategy training in interventions.

The research hypothesis was that memory strategy deficits can occur because of students' failure to understand the task and to evaluate their own performance. The effect of performance feedback on memory strategy use, performance evaluation, and recall was assessed with students with and without mild mental retardation with a mental age of approximately 8.5 years. For students with retardation, feedback resulted in more accurate performance evaluation and recall, but memory strategy use did not increase. By contrast, for students without retardation, feedback resulted in more accurate performance evaluation and greater recall accuracy and memory strategy use. We concluded that students with retardation may not have the appropriate memory strategies in their repertoire and, therefore, feedback does not result in strategy use. It seems likely that memory strategy use in this population would be increased by a training package that includes strategy instruction as well as feedback.

The aim was to evaluate the use of an internal strategy (i.e., subjective organization) in relation to physical activity (PA) level in older adults. We expected (1) an effect of age on memory performance and subjective organization, in favor of younger adults, and (2) an association between PA and memory performance and between PA and organization index, particularly in older adults. Forty-five younger (M = 27.58 yo) and 45 older adults (M = 71.49 yo) learned a list of 19 semantically unrelated concrete nouns and took three consecutive recalls. An index was calculated from the order in which the words were recalled (pairwise frequency index, PFI). Participants reported their PA over the past year. Three General Linear Models were conducted to examine: (1) the effect of age and PFI on memory, (2) the effect of age and PA on memory, and (3) the effect of age and PA on PFI. Mediation analyses tested whether subjective organization (PFI) mediated the relationship between PA and memory recall. Younger adults recalled more words and used more subjective organization than older adults. In both age groups, those with better memory performance also used more subjective organization. Positive correlations were found between PA and memory performance in both younger and older adults, and between PA and subjective organization only in older adults. The mediation analysis revealed that PA's effect on memory was partially mediated by subjective organization, explaining 39% of the effect. The present study revealed that higher PA level in older adults was associated with increased recall and use of subjective organization strategy, addressing a gap in understanding the benefits of PA on memory during aging. The results are discussed in terms of the possible implication of executive functions, particularly for their role in implementing effective memory strategies during encoding.

This study examined the ability of depression, health, and memory self-efficacy scores to predict the use of internal and external memory strategies by cognitively impaired and cognitively intact older adults. There were no differences between the groups on memory self-efficacy scores and on the extent of their use of the external memory strategy of place. The cognitively intact group used strategies to aid memory more often than did the cognitively impaired group and used more external than internal memory strategies. The cognitively intact group used the internal strategies of elaboration and rehearsal more often than the other group and were less likely to expend effort than the other group. Memory self-efficacy scores were the sole predictor of use of external memory aids by the cognitively intact group, and age was the sole predictor of use of external memory aids by the cognitively impaired group. No variable was able to predict the use of internal memory strategies by either group.

ABSTRACTThe Multifactorial Memory Questionnaire (MMQ) is a participant-reported measure of memory satisfaction, ability, and strategy use. Initially validated with healthy older adults, it has since been used in many different populations and settings for a variety of purposes. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the measurement properties of the MMQ across multiple, diverse studies. Methods: The study was designed using the Consensus-Based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. We calculated aggregate statistics and evaluated the methodological quality of 29 studies retrieved from PsycINFO, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Web of Science. Results: Analyses revealed high-quality evidence for internal consistency, stability, measurement error, convergent validity, and known-groups validity of the three MMQ scales. There was moderate-quality evidence for responsiveness and structural validity, with some studies identifying separate factors for internal and external memory strategy use. Measurement properties were similar across languages, participant samples, and study designs. Conclusions: The MMQ is a valid, reliable, and responsive measure across diverse settings and populations. Future research is needed to determine whether more detailed information can be obtained from the scales, specifically, internal versus external strategy use.

<p>The associative memory deficits observed in healthy older adults have been demonstrated to be at least partially driven by age-related declines in recollection-based memory processes (Old & Naveh-Benjamin, 2008). Parks and Yonelinas (2015) suggested that unitization – a memory strategy that synthesizes two previously unrelated objects into a new single entity which represents characteristics of both – could improve young adults’ associative memory performance by promoting familiarity-based, but not recollection-based, memory processes. This dissertation aimed to examine whether this unitization strategy could promote familiarity in older adults and subsequently improve their associative memory performance. Experiment 1 was a pilot study in which twenty young (aged 18-23) and 20 older adults (aged 65-89) were instructed to self-generate unitization mnemonics (compound definition, i.e., a definition for the compound that unitizes the two words) and a non-unitization strategy (sentence frame, i.e., a sentence that connects the two words). Results showed that although older adults took longer than their younger counterparts, they were better at generating mnemonics following both types of strategy instruction. In Experiment 2, thirty-six young and 36 older adults completed an associative memory task. During encoding, they studied word pairs, each with a sentence frame or a compound definition mnemonic as generated in Experiment 1. Then their memory for items as well as for pairs was assessed using a remember/know/new paradigm. Results indicated that for both age groups, familiarity increased in the unitization relative to the non-unitization condition. However, the increase in familiarity did not help older adults improve their associative memory in the same way as observed in the young adult group within the same experiment. Experiment 3 adopted an intentional encoding paradigm and a within-subject design. Thirty-two older adults studied word pairs using both sentence frame and compound definition strategy in two random-ordered blocks. Replicating Experiment 2, the unitization strategy boosted the level of familiarity-based retrieval but did not lead to better associative memory performance in older adults. Taken together, the results of this dissertation suggest that although unitization increased familiarity for older adults, it did not mitigate their associative memory deficits more effectively than a non-unitization strategy.</p>