Adult age differences in explanations and memory for behavioral information

Age differences in the effects of knowledge-based expectations on both the use of integrative memory processes and recall were examined. In the context of an impression-formation task, young and older adults were presented with lists containing behaviors that varied in consistency with attributed personality traits. Younger adults recalled trait-inconsistent behaviors better than consistent ones, but older adults exhibited no such consistency effect. The age difference in performance was related to the younger adults' spontaneously producing more explanations for inconsistent behaviors. Explanations are assumed to facilitate access to such information by establishing associations with other behavioral information residing in memory. When age differences in the use of explanation-based processing were controlled, the age differences in the effects of consistency on memory were eliminated.