Objective memory performance is an important and widely- researched aspect of memory functioning. However, this proposal focuses upon another aspect, one about which little is presently understood, but one that has significance for mental health and for potential level of cognitive functioning as well: the appraisal of memory failure. A frequent suggestion, based largely on anecdotal evidence, is that people use a """"""""double standard"""""""" in appraising memory failure that is based upon the age of the person experiencing that failure. This project will employ a person-perception attribution paradigm in which subjects from several adult age groups will rate memory failures described as experienced by a young, middle-aged, or older adult target person. The outcome of these ratings will allow for an objective assessment of the existence, extent, and nature of a """"""""double standard"""""""" of memory appraisal. In order to derive a clear picture of the factors involved in memory appraisal, individual difference characteristics in additional to age will be measured. In the affective domain, measures of self-rated depression (demonstrated in several prior studies to be related to degree of memory complaint and in some cases to actual memory performance) and self-esteem will be made on all participants. In the cognitive domain, everyday cognitive activity level, self-rated memory functioning and objective memory performance will be measured. Locus of control will also be assessed. The significance of these measures separately, and in conjunction with age with regard to ratings of the target person's memory failure will be assessed. Considerable recent concern has focused on characteristics of volunteer samples in memory research. The effectiveness of memory training programs, as well as the generalizability of results obtained in memory training studies, could be dependent upon the nature of the sample volunteering for such programs/studies. A final phase of this project will address this issue by surveying participants' preference and willingness to volunteer for a list of projects described as being planned for the not-too-distant future. Embedded in the list will be studies involving both group and individual memory training. The results of this survey will yield data on the characteristics of those people most likely and those least likely to seek/accept opportunities for improvement of memory capability.
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