Memory dynamics and decision making in younger and older adults

• Mª Teresa Lechuga ^[1] ; Carlos J. Gómez-Ariza ^[1] ; Sergio Iglesias-Parro ^[1] ; Santiago Pelegrina ^[1]
  1. [1] Universidad de Jaén

     Universidad de Jaén

     Jaén, España

     
• Localización: Psicológica: Revista de metodología y psicología experimental, ISSN-e 1576-8597, ISSN 0211-2159, Vol. 33, Nº 2, 2012, págs. 257-274
• Idioma: inglés
• Títulos paralelos:
  • Dinámicas de la memoria y toma de decisiones en adultos jóvenes y mayores
• Enlaces
  • Texto completo (pdf)
• Dialnet Métricas: 1 Cita
• Resumen
  • español

    El objetivo principal de esta investigación fue estudiar si los cambios en accesibilidad de la información en la memoria influyen en las elecciones de las personas mayores de la misma forma que en los jóvenes.

    Para ello, adaptamos el paradigma de práctica en la recuperación para producir variaciones en la accesibilidad de la información en la memoria sobre la que posteriormente se tomaban decisiones. Basándonos en resultados previos, esperábamos obtener olvido inducido por la recuperación (OIR) y sesgo en la elección en los participantes jóvenes y en los mayores después de haber realizado práctica en la recuperación de algunos de los atributos estudiados sobre una alternativa de elección. Además, comparamos la ejecución de ambos grupos de edad en una condición experimental en la que la práctica en la recuperación fue reemplazada por práctica en lectura de los mismos atributos. Los resultados demostraron que aunque los dos grupos de edad mostraban OIR después de realizar la práctica en la recuperación, el sesgo en la decisión sólo se observaba en los participantes jóvenes.

    Curiosamente, ni los mayores ni los jóvenes mostraron olvido ni sesgo en la elección en la condición de práctica en lectura. Estos resultados amplían los encontrados previamente y sugieren que, bajo ciertas circunstancias, las personas mayores pueden tomar mejores decisiones que las más jóvenes.

  • English

    The main aim of this research was to study whether memory dynamics influence older people’s choices to the same extent as younger’s ones. To do so, we adapted the retrieval-practice paradigm to produce variations in memory accessibility of information on which decisions were made later.

    Based on previous results, we expected to observe retrieval-induced forgetting (RIF) and choice bias in younger and older participants after they engaged in retrieval practice of some studied attributes. In addition, we aimed to compare both age groups’ performance in an experimental condition in which retrieval practice was replaced by reading aloud practice of the same studied items. The results indicated that whereas both age groups showed RIF after performing retrieval practice, biased decisions were observed only in the younger participants. Interestingly, neither older nor younger people showed memory impairment or choice bias in the condition of reading practice. These results extend previous findings and support the idea that, under specific circumstances, elderly people may make better choices than younger people.

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