Does differential strategy use account for age-related deficits in working-memory performance?

Abstract

The strategy-deficit hypothesis states that age differences in the use of effective strategies contribute to age-related deficits in working memory span performance. To evaluate this hypothesis, strategy use was measured with set-by-set strategy reports during the Reading Span task (Experiments 1 and 2) and the Operation Span task (Experiment 2). Individual differences in the reported use of effective strategies accounted for substantial variance in span performance. In contrast to the strategy-deficit hypothesis, however, young and older adults reported using the same proportion of normatively effective strategies on both span tasks. Measures of processing speed accounted for a substantial proportion of the age-related variance in span performance. Thus, although use of normatively effective strategies accounts for individual differences in span performance, age differences in effective strategy use cannot explain the age-related variance in that performance.

Figure 1

Mean proportion correct on the RSPAN task as a function of normatively effective strategies (Effective) and less effective strategies (Ineffective) for young and older adults in Experiment 1. Error bars represent the standard errors of each mean.

Figure 2

Mean proportion correct on the OSPAN task (top panel) and the RSPAN task (bottom panel) as a function of normatively effective strategies (Effective) and less effective strategies (Ineffective) for young and older adults in Experiment 2. Error bars represent the standard errors of each mean.