INFLUENCE OF TASK-SPECIFIC PROCESSING SPEED ON AGE-DIFFERENCES IN MEMORY

Two studies were conducted to investigate the aspect(s) of processing involved in the hypothesized speed mediation of adult age differences in memory. Both studies involved a serial memory task in which informa tion was to be recalled either in the original order of presentation, or in a reordered sequence. Results from both studies indicated that t ask-specific processing durations were slower among older adults than among young adults, but that the attenuation of the age-related varian ce in memory was nearly as great after statistical control of a task-i ndependent speed measure as after control of task-specific speed measu res. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that a substant ial proportion of the adult age-related differences in memory is assoc iated with a decrease with increased age in the speed of executing man y cognitive processes, and not simply the speed of one or two specific processes.