Strategic and lexical retrieval processes in free verb fluency: The influence of age and education

This study investigated age- and education-related differences in performance on a free verb fluency task in healthy adults. A sample of 170 participants was divided into two age groups (50-60 and 75+ years) and asked to produce as many verbs as possible within 60 seconds. Responses were analyzed for total production, temporal distribution, retrieval strategies (semantic, phonological, and alphabetic clustering and switching), and lexical characteristics (frequency and syllable length). Robust regression models revealed that older adults produced fewer verbs, particularly during the initial 30 seconds, and exhibited fewer phonological and alphabetic switches, indicating reduced cognitive flexibility. In contrast, semantic clustering patterns and lexical frequency measures did not differ significantly with age. Education was positively associated with total output, switching behavior, and lexical conventionality, suggesting that cognitive reserve contributes to fluency performance. These findings highlight both quantitative and qualitative age-related changes in lexical retrieval and support the moderating role of education on executive-linguistic functioning in late adulthood.