How schema knowledge influences memory in older adults: Filling in the gaps, or leading memory astray?

ABSTRACT: Age-related declines in episodic memory do not affect all types of mnemonic information equally: when to-be-remembered information is in line with one's prior knowledge, or schema-congruent, older adults often show no impairments. There are two major accounts of this effect: One proposes that schemas compensate for memory failures in aging, and the other proposes that schemas instead actively impair older adults' otherwise intact memory for incongruent information. However, the evidence thus far is inconclusive, likely due to methodological constraints in teasing apart these complex underlying dynamics. We developed a paradigm that separately examines the contributions of underlying memory and schema knowledge to a final memory decision, allowing these dynamics to be examined directly. In

SUBMITTER: Ramey MM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11308490 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature