cognitive processes: memory

cognitive processes: memory

1. what changes?

   • types of memory
     • implicit memory: the unconscious remembering of info learned at some earlier time
       • age differences on implicit memory tests (picture priming) = typically absent
         • BUT older adults struggle more w/word finding (delays coming up w/right word based on a definition or tip-of-the-tongue phenomena
           • neuro imaging = word finding problems relate to how much white matter is still in tact in the brain
     • explicit memory: the deliberate and conscious remembering of info that is learned and remembered at a specific time
       • episodic memory: general class of memory having to do with the conscious recollection of info from a specific time/event
         • older adults perform worse than younger adults on tests of episodic memory recall; they omit more info, include more intrusions and repeat more previously recalled items
           • large differences are unchanged by slower presentation or clues/reminders during recall
           • age differences on recognition tests = there but smaller
       • semantic memory: general class of memory concerning remembering of meanings of words/concepts not tied to a specific time/event
         • age differences on semantic memory tests = typically absent in normative aging BUT found in people w/dementia
           • this difference = way to diagnose abnormal cognitive aging
     • autobiographical memory: memory for events that occur during one's life
       • both younger and older adults = vivid memories experienced between ages 10-30 are reported more often than those occurring after age 30
         • same pattern for when asked to recall world events/news that occurred during that time
         • possible that this earlier period of life = greater importance in defining oneself; thus helps people organize their memories
   • Older adults tend to report fewer details from previous events vs. younger adults
   • neuroscience
     • neuroimaging indicates similar brain processes underlie autobiographical, episodic, and semantic memory, all of which have to do with retrieving “facts”
     • evidence that structural changes in the brain underlie changes in memory
       • Neuroimaging show areas of the brain involved in encoding memories (hippocampus & medial temporal lobe) shrink in older adults = harder to properly store info
         • Older adults tend to activate their prefrontal cortex to try to compensate, but the resources there are limited

2. when are memory changes abnormal?

   • testing
     • testing focuses on measuring performance and identifying declines in aspects of memory that typically do not change, such as tertiary memory (which is essentially long-term memory)
     • if a concerning memory decline is found, it does not always mean a serious problem
       • first step = find out whether the memory problem is interfering with everyday functioning
         • Once a serious problem is suspected, the next step = obtain a thorough examination (complete physical/neurological exam & neuropsychological tests)
   • most important point: there is no magic number of times a person must forget something before it becomes a matter for concern
     • many memory-impairing diseases progress slowly & poor memory performance may be noticed only gradually over an extended period of time.

3. remediating memory problems

   • E-I-E-I-O support programs to improve memory
     • people experiencing normal age-related memory changes that need extra help because of the high memory demands they face
     • people experiencing memory changes that are greater than normal
     • E-I-E-I-O framework: combines explicit & implicit memory with external & internal aids
       • external aids: memory aids that rely on environmental resources, such as notebooks or calendars
       • internal aids: memory aids that rely on mental processes, such as imagery