The effect of contextual information on memory function in older adults has become an issue of increasing theoretical importance in the psychology of memory and aging. Indeed, Burke and Light, in an influential review article suggest that understanding differences in the use of contextual information is one of the two major issues facing contemporary memory researchers. Craik and Simon and Rabinowitz et al. have argued that older adults are unable to encode specific contextual cues. They profit more from general cues than specific in a memory task, while young adults profit more from specific cues. Park et al. have reported findings suggesting that both old and young encode specific information, in contrast to the studies just described. In the present proposal, a series of experiments are porposed to systematically study the role that context plays in differentiating memory function of old and young adults and to resolve the conflicts present in the studies described. In Experiment 1, the role of cue relatedness and interaction with the target will be studied to determine if integration of the memory stimulus with the context is a determinant of contextual effectiveness. In Experiment 2, the role of target format (picture or word) and retrieval condition (recall or recognition) will be assessed to determine if these variables affect contextual encoding in older adults. In Experiment 3, the role of cue type vs. the cue's presence or absence will be studied. Studies finding evidence for a contextual encoding deficit in the elderly have only varied cue type while Park et al. manipulated the actual presence or absence of the cue and found no deficit. Finally, in Experiment 4, the theoretical concept of general vs. specific cues will be applied to an ecologically-valid situation. Subjects will study words in a contextually general or distinct room and the effect of remembering the different memory environments on the two ages will be studied. Since memory complaints are the primary concern of older individuals when consulting with psychologists and psychiatrists, an understanding of the interaction of the encoding context with age would be quite useful. Furthermore, Experiment 4 is an active attempt to develop a mnemonic strategy to assist in alleviating memory difficulties in older adults.
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