The Memory Advantages of the Generation Effect: Age and Process Differences

This study examined the impact of age on the generation effect using measures of study time, recognition (d prime), cautiousness (beta), and judgment reaction time. Thirty-six younger and 36 older adults studied antonym pairs, half of which were intact and half of which were missing two adjacent interior letters requiring active encoding (generation) to complete the word. In general, older adults studied items longer; both younger and older adults studied items requiring generation longer than intact items. Subsequent recognition testing also revealed age-related memory differences and generation effect-related memory improvements, but no age by task interaction. Cautiousness data showed only differences due to encoding task with no age-related differences to indicate older adults were more cautious than younger adults. Response time data also revealed expected effects due to age-related slowing and generation (not previously demonstrated in the literature).