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    Preservation of long-term memory in older adults using a spaced learning paradigm


    Caffrey, Michelle and Commins, Sean (2023) Preservation of long-term memory in older adults using a spaced learning paradigm. European Journal of Ageing, 20 (1). ISSN 1613-9372

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    Abstract

    How much information we retain depends on type/schedule of training. It has been widely acknowledged that spaced learning is advantageous compared to massed learning for cognitively healthy young adults and should be considered an educational standard. Literature would suggest that the spacing effect is preserved with age, though it is unclear whether this effect translates to more ecologically valid concepts such as face-name associations, which are particularly susceptible to deterioration with age. Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of spacing across recent/remote retention intervals, and the effect of age on spacing in cognitively healthy older adults using the Face-Name Pairs task. Experiment 1 results suggest that the beneficial memory effects of spacing are particularly observed with long-term memory. Experiment 2 results suggest that older adults are impaired at learning compared to younger adults, that the spacing effect influences both older and younger adults at longer intervals, and that spaced-trained participants display similar forgetting patterns at longer intervals, irrespective of age. These results may have some implications regarding improving the conditions under which optimum retention occurs (namely, whether spacing is beneficial when learning ecologically valid concepts at longer intervals outside of laboratory settings), and may provide insight into the effect of age on our ability to learn and remember face-name associations.
    Item Type: Article
    Keywords: Spaced learning; Distributed practice; Massed learning; Long-term memory; Retention;
    Academic Unit: Faculty of Science and Engineering > Psychology
    Item ID: 19664
    Identification Number: 10.1007/s10433-023-00750-5
    Depositing User: Dr. Sean Commins
    Date Deposited: 08 Apr 2025 12:01
    Journal or Publication Title: European Journal of Ageing
    Publisher: Springer
    Refereed: Yes
    Related URLs:
    URI: https://mural.maynoothuniversity.ie/id/eprint/19664
    Use Licence: This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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