| Abstract: | Three experiments were conducted to examine age differences in memory for telephone numbers by adults ranging from 18 to 85 yrs of age. In the 1st 2 studies, using visual simultaneous presentation, age declines in immediate recall were evident on 10-digit numbers but not on 3-digit numbers. With 7-digit numbers, the youngest group performed significantly better than the oldest (aged 70–85 yrs) group. In the 2nd study, more marked age declines occurred when Ss had to redial a number after a busy signal. The 3rd experiment replicated the observed aging pattern with auditory sequential presentation. Also, chunked presentation of local telephone numbers resulted in high performance for old and young in sequential recall. The findings were discussed in relation to task processing demands and practical issues related to telephone number recall. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
