Strategic value-directed remembering in younger and older adults

To examine potential age-related differences in controlled memory processes, we investigated whether strategic value-based processes can override the influence of information memorability and enhance memory performance for important information in younger and older adults. In three experiments, we manipulated the memorability (using word length, concreteness, and frequency in Experiments 1 and 2 and presentation time in Experiment 3) and the value of words to investigate the influence of item properties versus strategic processes on value-directed remembering in younger and older adults. Results revealed that older adults' selective memory (i.e. value-based memory) was preserved when high-value information was easier to remember. However, in Experiments 1 and 3, older adults' selective memory was impaired when high-value information was difficult to remember and low-value information was easier to remember, while younger adults' selectivity did not depend to as great of a degree as older adults on memorability. Collectively, these findings suggest that if some valuable words are inherently more difficult to remember, older adults may struggle to adapt their encoding strategy to remember these low-memorability words that are highly valuable. Thus, older adults can use strategic memory processes for high-value information, but the efficacy of this process may depend on the intrinsic and extrinsic salience of the information.