Destination memory for self-generated actions

Abstract

Background and aims: There is a substantial body of literature showing memory enhancement for self-generated information in normal aging. The present paper investigated this outcome for destination memory or memory for outputted information.

Methods: In Experiment 1, younger adults and older adults had to place (self-generated actions) and observe an experimenter placing (experiment-generated actions) items into two different destinations (i.e., a black circular box and a white square box). On a subsequent recognition task, the participants had to decide into which box each item had originally been placed. These procedures showed better destination memory for self- than experimenter-generated actions. In Experiment 2, destination and source memory were assessed for self-generated actions. Younger adults and older adults had to place items into the two boxes (self-generated actions), take items out of the boxes (self-generated actions), and observe an experimenter taking items out of the boxes (experiment-generated actions). On a subsequent recognition task, they had to decide into which box (destination memory)/from which box (source memory) each item had originally been placed/taken.

Results: For both populations, source memory was better than destination memory for self-generated actions, and both were better than source memory for experimenter-generated actions.

Discussions and conclusions: Taken together, these findings highlight the beneficial effect of self-generation on destination memory in older adults.

Keywords: Aging; Destination memory; Episodic memory; Self-generation; Source memory.