Age-related changes in word retrieval vary by self-reported anxiety but not depression symptoms |
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| Authors: | Meredith A. Shafto Lori E. James Lise Abrams Cam- CAN |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Centre for Speech, Language and the Brain, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK;2. Department of Psychology, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, CO, USA;3. Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, USA;4. Cambridge Centre for Ageing and Neuroscience (Cam-CAN), University of Cambridge and MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge, UK |
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| Abstract: | Tip-of-the-tongue states (TOTs) are known to increase in frequency across adulthood, but there is wide variability in older adults’ TOT rates, suggesting that individual difference factors contribute to TOT incidence. We investigated the role of affect by examining the relationship between self-reported anxiety and depression symptoms and the frequency of TOTs during a laboratory task. Participants were young, middle-aged and older adults in a population-based sample of adults aged 18–87. Increased anxiety was associated with fewer TOTs for the middle-aged group but more TOTs for the older adult group. There was no relationship between anxiety and TOTs for younger adults and no relationships between depression symptoms and TOT incidence for any age group. We discuss our results in terms of attentional control theory, which provides an explanation of how age may affect the relationship between anxiety and TOTs. |
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| Keywords: | Healthy aging anxiety mood word retrieval tip-of-the-tongue (TOT) |
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