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PubMed · 11827445

Age-related differences in inference revision processing.

Heather Harris Wright·Marilyn Newhoff
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Abstract

In comparison to younger adults, older adults demonstrate deficiencies in cognitive and linguistic abilities. Such cognitive factors that decline with age include working memory capacity and inhibitory abilities. The purpose of the present investigation was to measure differences in time course processing of inference revision abilities, as well as working memory, as they exist relative to adult age differences. Fifteen neurologically intact older adults and 15 younger adults participated in this study. A cross-modal lexical priming paradigm was chosen as the measure of the inference revision task; the listening span task of Tompkins, Bloise, Timko, and Baumgaertner (1994) was selected as the measure of working memory. Both groups demonstrated normal priming effects. No age-related differences were found on the working memory measure. Age-related differences did emerge on inferencing abilities. A significant correlation emerged between the older group's performance on comprehending inference revisions and their working memory capacity. Generally, inhibitory abilities and working memory capacity appeared to adversely affect older participant's performance.

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Age FactorsAgedAged, 80 and overCognition DisordersFemaleHumansLanguage DisordersMaleMiddle AgedReaction TimeSurveys and QuestionnairesJournal Article

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Heather Harris Wright, Marilyn Newhoff. 2002. Age-related differences in inference revision processing.. https://doi.org/10.1006/brln.2001.2595

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