Mnemonic training in older adults: effects of age, length of training, and type of cognitive pretraining.

OBJECTIVES

To improve performance with mnemonic techniques for remembering words and proper names.

DESIGN

For word recall, a 2 x 2 factorial in which type of pretraining and length of training were between-subjects manipulations. For proper name recall, a two-group design in which type of pretraining was manipulated between subjects.

SETTING

Community.

PARTICIPANTS

268 community-dwelling adults over the age of 55 years who wished to improve their memory.

MEASUREMENTS

Recall of words and proper names both before and after training in mnemonics.

INTERVENTION

Participants received a 2-week training course on two mnemonic techniques, the method of loci for words and a name association technique for proper names.

RESULTS

There was no effect of the pretraining manipulation on proper name recall. For word recall, however, a multiple regression that included age indicated that the older-old participants benefited more from a combination of comprehensive pretraining and extended mnemonic training than did the younger-old.

CONCLUSIONS

Increased training time coupled with a comprehensive pretraining regimen can improve the performance of the older-old in using mnemonics; this improved performance cannot be attributed solely to enhanced knowledge of the mnemonic.