Memory plasticity across the life span: Uncovering children's latent potential

Publikation: Beitrag in FachzeitschriftForschungsartikelBeigetragenBegutachtung

Beitragende

  • Yvonne Brehmer - , Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Universität des Saarlandes, Aging Research Center (ARC) (Autor:in)
  • Shu Chen Li - , Max Planck Institute for Human Development (Autor:in)
  • Viktor Müller - , Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Universität des Saarlandes (Autor:in)
  • Timo Von Oertzen - , Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Universität des Saarlandes (Autor:in)
  • Ulman Lindenberger - , Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Universität des Saarlandes (Autor:in)

Abstract

Memory plasticity, or the ability to improve one's memory performance through instruction and training, is known to decline during adulthood. However, direct comparisons among middle childhood, adulthood, and old age are lacking. The authors examined memory plasticity in an age-comparative multisession training study. One hundred and eight participants ages 9-10, 11-12, 20-25, and 65-78 years learned and practiced an imagery-based mnemonic technique to encode and retrieve words by location cues. Individuals of all ages were able to acquire and optimize use of the technique. Older adults and children showed similar baseline performance and improvement through mnemonic instruction. However, in line with tenets from life-span psychology (P. B. Baltes, 1987), children profited more from mnemonic practice and reached higher levels of final performance than did older adults.

Details

OriginalspracheEnglisch
Seiten (von - bis)465-478
Seitenumfang14
FachzeitschriftDevelopmental psychology
Jahrgang43
Ausgabenummer2
PublikationsstatusVeröffentlicht - März 2007
Peer-Review-StatusJa
Extern publiziertJa

Externe IDs

PubMed 17352553
ORCID /0000-0001-8409-5390/work/142254948

Schlagworte

Schlagwörter

  • Aging, Child development, Episodic memory, Lifespan, Memory plasticity and training