Age effect in recall performance according to the levels of processing, elaboration, and retrieval cues

The present study was conducted to investigate the incidence of several fac tors contributing to age-related memory decrement. Variables manipulated in clude quality (level of processing encoding conditions), the degree of effo rt and encoding quantitative elaboration (active/passive encoding condition s), and the influence of retrieval support (free-/cued recall conditions). In support of the environmental support hypothesis, middle-old and old subj ects benefited more than young ones from cued recall in all the memory test s. Moreover, the results showed a differential (qualitative vs, quantitativ e) impairment of conceptual processing between the middle-old and the old-a ge groups. In the middle-olds, age differences were abolished by deep proce ssing old adults, age differences were attentuated only with deep and activ e processing associated with retrieval support. These gradual memory impair ments are evaluated according to Mandler's model of memory (1979, In L. G. Nilsson [Ed.], Perspective in memory research. Hillsdale: Lawrence-Erlbaum) , and the environmental support hypothesis is discussed in ter rns of the i nvolvement of encoding and retrieval operations required by the memory task .