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Effects of Increased Processing Demands on Age Differences in Working Memory

Effects of Increased Processing Demands on Age Differences in Working Memory Three studies investigated (a) the plausibility of the claim that increasing the processing demands in a memory task contributes to greater involvement of a central processor and (b) the effects of altering reliance on the central processor on the magnitude of age-related differences in working-memory tasks. In the first study, young adults performed versions of 2 tasks presumed to vary in the degree of reliance on the central processor. In the second and third studies, young and older adults performed versions of a computation-span task that were assumed to vary along a rough continuum of the amount of required processing. The results indicated that although a central processor appears to be involved when working-memory tasks require simultaneous storage and processing of information, age-related differences in working memory seem to be determined at least as much by differences in the capacity of storage as by differences in the efficiency of processing. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Psychology and Aging American Psychological Association

Effects of Increased Processing Demands on Age Differences in Working Memory

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References (39)

Publisher
American Psychological Association
Copyright
Copyright © 1990 American Psychological Association
ISSN
0882-7974
eISSN
1939-1498
DOI
10.1037/0882-7974.5.3.421
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Three studies investigated (a) the plausibility of the claim that increasing the processing demands in a memory task contributes to greater involvement of a central processor and (b) the effects of altering reliance on the central processor on the magnitude of age-related differences in working-memory tasks. In the first study, young adults performed versions of 2 tasks presumed to vary in the degree of reliance on the central processor. In the second and third studies, young and older adults performed versions of a computation-span task that were assumed to vary along a rough continuum of the amount of required processing. The results indicated that although a central processor appears to be involved when working-memory tasks require simultaneous storage and processing of information, age-related differences in working memory seem to be determined at least as much by differences in the capacity of storage as by differences in the efficiency of processing.

Journal

Psychology and AgingAmerican Psychological Association

Published: Sep 1, 1990

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