Does stereotype threat influence age-related differences on directed forgetting tasks?

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

The Directed Forgetting paradigm has proven to be a powerful tool to explore motivated forgetting in the lab. Past work has shown that older adults are less able to intentionally suppress information from memory relative to younger adults, which is often attributed to deficits in inhibitory abilities. Instructions in traditional Directed Forgetting tasks contain terms that may elicit stereotype threat in older adults, which may negatively impact memory. Here, we tested whether the instructions in a Directed Forgetting task affected older adults' ability to appropriately control the contents of memory.

Methods

In two experiments that differed in the number of words presented (30 vs. 48 items), younger and older adults were randomized into one of four crossed Condit

SUBMITTER: Chien JC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10836358 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature