DIRECT AND INDIRECT MEMORY MEASURES OF TEMPORAL-ORDER - YOUNGER VERSUS OLDER ADULTS

The memory changes associated with age are attributed to the deteriora tion of the frontal lobes, as well as to the middle temporal structure s. Therefore, in addition to a decline in memory for facts and events, as found impaired in amnesics, a memory decline associated with age i s predicted for tasks typically found impaired in frontal lobe patient s (i.e., temporal order judgment). There are conflicting findings conc erning whether indirect measures of memory for facts and events are as sociated with age. However, there are no studies that address this iss ue with regard to temporal order judgment. Thirty younger and thirty o lder adults were tested on a list of words which was repeated five tim es in fixed or varying order. The number of words recalled, as well as their temporal judgments, were the direct measure of memory. The effe ct of consistency of order of presentation on the number of words reca lled was the indirect measure of memory for temporal order. Results su ggest that direct, but not the indirect measures of memory were relate d to age.