This project will study the contributions of long-term memory variables to short-term memory performance in young and older adults. Although many recent studies have shown that variables typically associated with long-term memory affect verbal short-term memory performance in young adults, the effects of these variables on memory span performance in older adults are not well-established. Additionally, there is substantial debate among memory researchers as to how long-term memory variables contribute to short-term memory performance. The proposed research will address these empirical and theoretical issues by including older as well as young adults in tasks involving variables that have been shown to affect memory span in young adults and children. These results from these tasks will be compared with predictions from leading theories of aging and memory to determine which framework can best account for age-related differences in performance across stimulus types. The product of this research will be a fuller theoretical understanding of the mechanisms relating short- and long-term memory and a better understanding of the effects of aging on short-term memory performance.
