老年人情景记忆更新的改变：竞争记忆的回溯性干扰

记忆更新是获取新知识的一种重要能力。大量研究显示老年人情景记忆受损,但鲜有研究探讨老年人情景记忆更新模式的改变。研究在匹配了老年人和年轻人编码程度的前提下,探讨情景记忆更新的老化效应及其潜在的认知机制。我们对AB-AC记忆更新范式进行了创新,同时考察了在项目改变和位置改变条件下的老化效应,并在测试阶段纳入诱饵选项,进一步排除编码程度带来的影响。研究结果显示年轻人能对A-B和A-C记忆分离存储,而老年人更多地受到回溯性记忆干扰,即在A-B测试中出现C的闯入,并且该干扰效应显著地大于诱饵刺激带来的影响。研究结果表明,在年轻人和老年人编码程度匹配的情况下,年轻人的记忆更新通过记忆分化来实现,而老年人更多地受到竞争记忆的回溯性干扰。

Aging effect on episodic memory updating: Retrograde interference in competitive memory retrieval

Updating outdated memories with newly acquired information is an important ability. To ensure less interference from outdated memories, one either trims old memory traces or differentiates between novel and old memories. Although the age-related decline in episodic memory has been well-established, aging effect on episodic memory updating and its underlying cognitive mechanisms are less understood. Memory differentiation and memory interference may act as two different mechanisms that underlie episodic memory updating. To bridge this research gap, we investigated the different updating memory patterns in young and older adults. Furthermore, we intended to clarify the updating differences in item and source memory, which are the two essential elements embedded in episodic memory. By implementing an adapted AB-AC memory updating paradigm, we posited that young adults would comparably attain A-B and A-C memory. In contrast, older adults would experience C memory intrusions in the A-B memory test, indicating memory interference.