INCREASING METAMEMORY IN OLDER ADULTS

The purpose of this study were to test the effects of a 2-week, four-s ession group intervention with older adults, designed to increase memo ry self-efficacy and memory performance and to evaluate the influence of depression on memory of self-efficacy. A total of 145 community-dwe lling older adults (M = 71 years) participated in the study. The inter vention significantly increased both memory self-efficacy and memory p erformance in the treatment group (n = 74). In addition, the treatment groups perception of control in memory-demanding situations was stren gthened, and their perception of negative changes in memory over time was diminished. The control group (n = 71) experienced a significant d ecline in memory self-efficacy over time. Memory performance was not s ignificantly related to memory self-efficacy. Those individuals with d epression (M = 7.5), as measured by the short Geriatric Depression Sca le, had significantly lower memory self-efficacy sores than those with out depression, however, there was no difference in memory performance between the depressed and nondepressed subjects. From the posttest to the follow-up period, depressed subjects receiving the intervention s howed a significant decrease in memory self-efficacy, while nondepress ed subjects showed no change.