Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gxg78 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T19:45:21.407Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Age Differences in Recall and Information Processing in Verbal and Spatial Learning*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 November 2010

Dan Mungas ,
Cindy L. Ehlers  and
Dale Blunden
Dan Mungas
Affiliation:
University of California
Cindy L. Ehlers
Affiliation:
Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation
Dale Blunden
Affiliation:
Independent Practice, Sacramento, California
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Age differences in verbal and spatial learning and information processing were tested using a verbal word list learning task and a spatial analogue of this task. Recall was assessed across five learning trials and the same measures of information processing and organization strategy were derived from both tasks. Normal subjects divided into three age groups of 24 subjects each were compared on these instruments. Significant age group differences were found for total recall averaged across trials and type of task (verbal vs. spatial). Age was not differentially related to verbal versus spatial learning and age groups did not show different patterns of recall across trials. Age was related to a clustering measure which assessed organization of information according to verbal semantic categories or inherent spatial clusters. Younger subjects showed increased levels of clustering on earlier learning trials. Similar effects were observed for the verbal and spatial clustering measures. Age was not related to differences in organization according to temporal order of presentation of information. Results show similar age-related changes in verbal and spatial learning and provide evidence that spatial learning, like verbal learning, is dependent upon effortful information processing.

Résumé

Les différences selon l'âge dans les apprentissages verbaux et spatiaux et le traitement des informations obtenues ont été testées à partir de deux exercices d'apprentissage portant respectivement sur des listes verbales de mots et sur des listes visuo-spatiales. Les réminiscences ont été évaluées au cours de cinq essais d'apprentissage et les mêmes instruments de traitement de l'information et de stratégie organisationnelle ont été utilisés à partir des deux types d'exercice ci-haut mentionnés. Des sujets normaux, divisés en trois groupes d'âge de 24 sujets chacun, ont été comparés sur la base de ces instruments. Tant les essais que les types de tâches (verbales vs spatiales) ont permis d'observer des différences significatives selon l'âge et ce, pour la moyenne de toutes les réminiscences. Par rapport aux apprentissages verbaux et aux apprentissages spatiaux, l'âge n'a pas présenté de différences significatives. De plus, il n'y a pas eu de modèles différents de réminiscences selon les groupes d'âge au cours des essais d'apprentissage. Par contre l'âge a été relié à des types de mesures dites d'agglomération, mesures destinées à évaluer l'organisation de l'information selon des catégories sémantiques verbales ou visuelles. Au cours d'essais antérieurs d'apprentissage et sur des sujets plus jeunes, on avait abouti à de plus hauts niveaux d'agglomération. Les instruments verbaux et spatiaux d'agglomération ont donné les mêmes résultats. En ce qui concerne l'ordre, dans le temps, de présentation de l'information, l'âge n'avait rien à voir avec les différences d'organisation des essais. Les résultats présentent le même type de différences reliées à l'âge, dans les listes d'apprentissages verbales ou spatiales. Cela nous prouve que l'apprentissage verbal aussi bien que l'apprentissage spatial repose sur un traitement de l'information requérant beaucoup d'efforts.

Keywords

MemoryVerbal LearningSpatial LearningAgingMémoireapprentissage verbaleapprentissage spatialevieillissement
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 10 , Issue 4 , Winter/hiver 1991 , pp. 320 - 332
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 1991

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ammons, R. B., & Ammons, C. H. (1962). The Quick Test (QT): Provisional manual. Missoula, MT: Psychological Test Specialists.Google Scholar
Arenberg, D. (1978). Differences and changes with age in the Benton Visual Retention Test. Journal of Gerontology, 33, 534–540.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Botwinick, J. (1984). Aging and behavior. A comprehensive integration of research findings. New York: Springer Publishing Co.Google Scholar
Chapman, L. C., & Chapman, J. C. (1973). Disordered thought in schizophrenia. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts.Google Scholar
Craik, F. I. M, & Simon, E. (1980). Age differences in memory. The roles of attention and depth of processing. In Poon, L. W., Fozard, J. L., Cermak, L. S., Arenberg, D., & Thompson, L. W. (Eds.), New directions in memory and aging (pp. 95–112). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.Google Scholar
Hasher, L., & Zacks, R. T. (1979). Automatic and effortful processes in memory. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 108, 356–388.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kahneman, D. (1973). Attention and effort. Engelwood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.Google Scholar
Light, L. L., & Zelinski, E. M. (1983). Memory for spatial information in young and old adults. Developmental Psychology, 19, 901–906.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McCormack, P. D. (1982). Coding of spatial information by young and elderly adults. Journal of Gerontology, 37, 80–86.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mungas, D., Blunden, D., & Ehlers, C. (1988). Depression and age effects in verbal learning [Abstract]. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 10, 81.Google Scholar
Mungas, D., Ehlers, C., Walton, N., & McCutchen, C. B. (1985). Verbal learning differences in epileptic patients with left and right temporal lobe foci. Epilepsia, 26, 323–333.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Murphy, M. D. (1982). Measurement of category clustering in free recall. In Puff, C. R. (Ed.), Handbook of research methods in human memory and cognition (pp. 51–83). New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Naveh-Benjamin, M. (1987). Coding of spatial location information: An automatic process? Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory and Cognition, 13, 595–605.Google ScholarPubMed
Omer, H. (1985). Comparison of verbal and non-verbal memory in elderly normal subjects and dementia patients. Israel Journal of Medical Science, 21, 283–287.Google Scholar
Park, D. C. (1980). Item and attribute storage of pictures and words in memory. American Journal of Psychology, 93, 603–615.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Park, D. C., Puglisi, J. T., & Lutz, R. (1982). Spatial Memory in older adults: Effects of intentionality. Journal of Gerontology, 37, 330–335.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pellegrino, J. W. (1971). A general measure of organization in free recall for variable unit size and internal sequential consistency. Behavioral Research and Instrumentation, 3, 241–246.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pellegrino, J. W., & Battig, W. F. (1974). Relationships among higher order organizational measures and free recall. Journal of Experimental Psychology, 102, 463–472.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pellegrino, J. W., & Hubert, L. J. (1982). The analysis of organization and structure in free recall. In Puff, C. R. (Ed.), Handbook of research methods in human memory and cognition (pp. 129–172). New York: Academic Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Perlmutter, M., Metzger, R., Nezworski, T., & Miller, K. (1981). Spatial and temporal memory in 20 and 60 year olds. Journal of Gerontology, 36, 59–65.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pezdek, K. (1983). Memory for items and their spatial locations by young and elderly adults. Developmental Psychology, 19, 895–900.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Poon, L. W. (1985). Differences in human memory with aging: Nature, causes, and clinical implications. In Birren, J. E., & Schaie, K.W. (Eds.), Handbook of the psychology of aging (2nd ed.) (pp. 427–462). New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Co.Google Scholar
Schear, J. M., & Nebes, R. D. (1980). Memory for verbal and spatial information as a function of age. Experimental Aging Research, 6, 271–281.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shelton, M. D., Parsons, O. A., & Leber, W. R. (1982). Visuospatial performance and aging: A neuropsychological approach. Journal of Gerontology, 37, 336–341.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sternberg, R. J., & Tulving, E. (1977). The measurement of subjective organization in recall. Psychological Bulletin, 84, 539–556.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thorndike, E. L., & Lorge, I. (1944). The teacher's book of 30,000 words. New York: Columbia University.Google Scholar
Tubi, N., & Calev, A. (1989). Verbal and visuospatial recall by younger and older subjects: Use of matched tasks. Psychology and Aging, 4, 493–495.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Waddell, K. J., & Rogoff, B. (1981). Effect of contextual organization and spatial memory of middle aged and older women. Developmental Psychology, 17, 878–885.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Winograd, E., Smith, A. D., & Simon, E. W. (1982). Aging and the picture superiority effect in recall. Journal of Gerontology, 37, 70–75.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed