Specific effects of aging on proper name retrieval: now you see them, now you don't.

Existing research is equivocal as to whether aging negatively affects the retrieval of proper names more than other types of words. To clarify previous results, this study had young and older participants name and provide specific biographical information in response to pictures of familiar celebrities; it used two different measures of recall errors. An analysis of tip-of-the-tongue (TOT) responses indicated specific age-related increases in TOTs for names compared with words representing biographical information. An analysis including all other (non-TOT) recall errors did not indicate age-related deficits in name retrieval. These findings highlight the importance of the measures adopted in forming conclusions about age effects on the retrieval of names.