Effects of aging, message repetition, and note-taking on memory for healthinformation

This study investigated whether repetition improves older adults' memory fo r health service appointment messages delivered by automated telephone syst ems. Whereas imposed repetition reduces age differences in memory (Morrow, Leirer, Carver, Tanke, & McNally, 1999), the present study examined the eff ect of optional repetition. Both older and younger participants in Experime nt I chose to repeat messages. More repetition, higher cognitive ability (w orking memory and processing speed), and younger age were associated with b etter memory for appointment information. The effect of age was eliminated when cognitive ability, but riot repetition, was controlled Thus, older adu lts used optional repetition in automated systems, But this strategy did no t eliminate age differences in memory. In Experiment 2, older as well as yo unger adults took accurate notes and also repeated messages. Both note-faki ng and message repetition improved memory for the messages but did not redu ce age differences. These findings suggest that older as wen as younger adu lts use presentation strategies in automated messaging systems. Older adult s may not take full advantage of these strategies, perhaps because of age-r elated declines in self-initiated or metacognitive processes.