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Age Differences in Source Monitoring and Referent Discrimination

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 January 2013

Trinidad Ruiz-Gallego-Largo ,
Teresa Simón  and
Aurora G. Suengas
Trinidad Ruiz-Gallego-Largo*
Affiliation:
Universidad Complutense (Spain)
Teresa Simón
Affiliation:
Universidad Complutense (Spain)
Aurora G. Suengas
Affiliation:
Universidad Complutense (Spain)
*
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Trinidad Ruiz-Gallego-Largo, Departamento de Metodología de las Ciencias del Comportamiento, Universidad Complutense, 28223 Madrid (Spain). E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

In contrast to previous studies which addressed separately memory for source and referent, the present experiment analyzes the effects of aging on memory for both, source and referent. The experiment simulated a conversation between two people exchanging descriptors of themselves and the other speaker (e.g., “I am helpful,” “you are capable”). Participants (N = 60) were divided into two age groups: younger (M = 23.47 years old, SD = 2.37), older (M = 70.30 years old, SD = 3.73). Recall, recognition, and accuracy in identifying source (e.g., “who said helpful?”) and referent (e.g., “about whom was capable said?”) were analyzed. Younger and older adults recalled and recognized equally well information read by the experimenter about herself, but only young adults showed better memory for the descriptors they read about themselves. Older adults were impaired in source monitoring, but not in reference discrimination. Normal referent discrimination in older adults is attributed to the fact that the referent forms part of the content of the episode, whereas who spoke it is part of its context, and older adults tend to show greater deficits in context than in content memory. These results are explained within the source and reality monitoring framework.

A diferencia de estudios anteriores que han abordado por separado la identificación del origen y del referente de la información, este experimento analiza los efectos del envejecimiento sobre la discriminación conjunta de ambos, origen y referente. El experimento simula una conversación entre dos personas (investigadora y participante) que intercambian descriptores de sí mismas y de su interlocutora (e.g., “yo soy amable”, “tú eres capaz”). Se dividió a los participantes (N = 60) en dos grupos en función de la edad: joven (M = 23′47 años, DT = 2′37), mayor (M = 70′30 años, DT = 3′73). Se analizó recuerdo, reconocimiento y precisión en la identificación del origen (e.g., “¿quién dijo amable?”) y del referente (e.g., “¿sobre quién se dijo que era capaz?”) de los descriptores intercambiados en la conversación. Los resultados indicaron que jóvenes y mayores recordaron y reconocieron por igual la información que la experimentadora leyó sobre sí misma, pero sólo los jóvenes recordaron mejor los descriptores que ellos leyeron sobre sí mismos. Los mayores tuvieron dificultades en la identificación del origen, pero no del referente. El mantenimiento de la discriminación del referente se atribuye a que forma parte del contenido del episodio, cuyo recuerdo no está afectado por el envejecimiento. Por el contrario, el recuerdo del origen, como parte del contexto, sí se ve afectado. Los resultados se explican en el marco teórico del control del origen en la memoria.

Keywords

agingrecall and recognitionsource monitoringreference discriminationself-referencememory for conversationsenvejecimientorecuerdo y reconocimientocontrol del origendiscriminación del referenteauto-referenciarecuerdo de las conversaciones
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 15 , Issue 1 , March 2012 , pp. 20 - 28
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012

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