A new study conducted at the University of California, Arlington, has found that setting reminders can reverse some age-related memory problems.
The results of the study were published in the journal Psychology and Aging.
The study, conducted in collaboration with psychologists from the University of California, Utah and Arizona State University, involved two experiments that tested the estimated memory performance of young and older adults in different settings, with or without reminders.
Participants were asked to remember specific tasks while performing ongoing tasks, and their performance was assessed under both high load (more tasks to remember) and low load (fewer tasks to remember). In the first experiment, participants were given specific tasks to remember, such as answers to specific words, and some were provided with reminders displayed on a screen. Results showed no significant age-related decline in prospective memory without reminders under low load, but under high load, reminders provided similar benefits to both young and old adults. This suggests that reminders may help reduce cognitive load because memory retrieval relies less on internal memory processes.
The second experiment presented more complex, non-specific tasks that required participants to recognize categories such as animals or fruits rather than specific words.
Older adults had more difficulty remembering these non-specific tasks under high memory load without reminders, but these age-related performance gaps were completely eliminated when reminders were present. This finding was critical because it highlighted the potential for reminders to counteract the deficits associated with more complex cognitive tasks that typically tax older adults’ memory.
The second experiment presented more complex, non-specific tasks that required participants to recognize categories such as animals or fruits rather than specific words.
Older adults had more difficulty remembering these non-specific tasks under high memory load without reminders, but these age-related performance gaps were completely eliminated when reminders were present. This finding was critical because it highlighted the potential for reminders to counteract the deficits associated with more complex cognitive tasks that typically tax older adults’ memory.
The researchers suggest that the effectiveness of reminders for older adults is due to their increased tendency to check reminders more frequently when they are faced with high cognitive demands. This compensatory behavior likely helps older adults cope with tasks that would otherwise be too taxing for their internal memory. The study’s authors emphasize that digital tools such as smartphone apps, personal assistants such as Amazon Alexa, or even simple reminders can be valuable aids for older adults in effectively managing their daily tasks and maintaining independence.