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Working and ageing
94 Guidance and counselling for mature learners

Table 5.1. Summary of studies examining age-related memory decline
in healthy adults

Study Groups Task Results
Cabeza et Younger/older adults Working memory No differences in performance
al., 2004 between the two groups.
Blacker et Older adults > Episodic memory Episodic memory was a reliable
al., 2007 57 years predictor of cognitive
impairment in healthy adults.
Rosen et Older adults > Declarative There is profound variation in
al., 2002 60 years memory the severity of the decline.
Cabeza et Younger/older adults Encoding and No differences in performance
al., 1997 retrieval between the two groups.
Differences in the brain areas
activated during the tasks.
Grady et al., Younger/older adults Working memory There were no reliable age
2008 differences in this pattern of
activity.

Park et al., Adults >20 years old Working memory/ Regular decline across the life
2002 long-term memory span. No specific differences in
performance between older and
younger adults.
Zelinski and A 16-year Short-term Differences in recall but not in
Burnight, longitudinal study of memory/long-term recognition between the two
1997 two groups: 30-36 memory groups.
and 55-81

Hedden et Two groups: 20-54 Working memory Older adults may use age-
al., 2005 and 55-92 related increases in knowledge
to partially compensate for
processing declines when
environmental support is
available.
Salthouse, 1 250 participants Short-term/long- There is a downward shift in
2003 from 20 to 90 years term memory for memory across the life span
words and faces that starts before the age of 50.
Schroeder 5 391 participants Short-term/long- Small differences in memory in
and Salt - from 30 to 50 years term memory these age groups.
house, 2004