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Age Differences in Recall and Information Processing in Verbal and Spatial Learning*

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 November 2010

Dan Mungas ,
Cindy L. Ehlers  and
Dale Blunden
Dan Mungas
Affiliation:
University of California
Cindy L. Ehlers
Affiliation:
Scripps Clinic and Research Foundation
Dale Blunden
Affiliation:
Independent Practice, Sacramento, California
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Abstract

Age differences in verbal and spatial learning and information processing were tested using a verbal word list learning task and a spatial analogue of this task. Recall was assessed across five learning trials and the same measures of information processing and organization strategy were derived from both tasks. Normal subjects divided into three age groups of 24 subjects each were compared on these instruments. Significant age group differences were found for total recall averaged across trials and type of task (verbal vs. spatial). Age was not differentially related to verbal versus spatial learning and age groups did not show different patterns of recall across trials. Age was related to a clustering measure which assessed organization of information according to verbal semantic categories or inherent spatial clusters. Younger subjects showed increased levels of clustering on earlier learning trials. Similar effects were observed for the verbal and spatial clustering measures. Age was not related to differences in organization according to temporal order of presentation of information. Results show similar age-related changes in verbal and spatial learning and provide evidence that spatial learning, like verbal learning, is dependent upon effortful information processing.

Résumé

Les différences selon l'âge dans les apprentissages verbaux et spatiaux et le traitement des informations obtenues ont été testées à partir de deux exercices d'apprentissage portant respectivement sur des listes verbales de mots et sur des listes visuo-spatiales. Les réminiscences ont été évaluées au cours de cinq essais d'apprentissage et les mêmes instruments de traitement de l'information et de stratégie organisationnelle ont été utilisés à partir des deux types d'exercice ci-haut mentionnés. Des sujets normaux, divisés en trois groupes d'âge de 24 sujets chacun, ont été comparés sur la base de ces instruments. Tant les essais que les types de tâches (verbales vs spatiales) ont permis d'observer des différences significatives selon l'âge et ce, pour la moyenne de toutes les réminiscences. Par rapport aux apprentissages verbaux et aux apprentissages spatiaux, l'âge n'a pas présenté de différences significatives. De plus, il n'y a pas eu de modèles différents de réminiscences selon les groupes d'âge au cours des essais d'apprentissage. Par contre l'âge a été relié à des types de mesures dites d'agglomération, mesures destinées à évaluer l'organisation de l'information selon des catégories sémantiques verbales ou visuelles. Au cours d'essais antérieurs d'apprentissage et sur des sujets plus jeunes, on avait abouti à de plus hauts niveaux d'agglomération. Les instruments verbaux et spatiaux d'agglomération ont donné les mêmes résultats. En ce qui concerne l'ordre, dans le temps, de présentation de l'information, l'âge n'avait rien à voir avec les différences d'organisation des essais. Les résultats présentent le même type de différences reliées à l'âge, dans les listes d'apprentissages verbales ou spatiales. Cela nous prouve que l'apprentissage verbal aussi bien que l'apprentissage spatial repose sur un traitement de l'information requérant beaucoup d'efforts.

Keywords

MemoryVerbal LearningSpatial LearningAgingMémoireapprentissage verbaleapprentissage spatialevieillissement
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 10 , Issue 4 , Winter/hiver 1991 , pp. 320 - 332
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 1991

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