Overcoming age differences in memory retrieval by reducing stereotype threat.

Associative learning Cognitive aging Cognitive performance Memory Stereotype threat

Journal

Memory & cognition
ISSN: 1532-5946
Titre abrégé: Mem Cognit
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 0357443

Informations de publication

Date de publication:
16 Nov 2023
Historique:
accepted: 27 10 2023
medline: 17 11 2023
pubmed: 17 11 2023
entrez: 16 11 2023
Statut: aheadofprint

Résumé

Very little is known about whether and how socioemotional factors influence age differences in associative memory. Here, we tested the hypothesis that reducing the threat induced by age-based stereotypes can reduce age differences in learning performance and strategy. Using an associative learning task, we replicated the classic finding of age differences under a high-threat condition: older adults had longer reaction times than younger adults and were much more reluctant to use memory retrieval. However, age differences were greatly diminished under a low-threat condition. These findings demonstrate that memory retrieval is an ability not entirely lost as individuals age because merely reducing stereotype threat helped restoring it. We conclude that socioemotional factors, such as stereotype threat, should be considered when evaluating younger and older adults' memory performance.

Identifiants

pubmed: 37973771
doi: 10.3758/s13421-023-01488-2
pii: 10.3758/s13421-023-01488-2
doi:

Types de publication

Journal Article

Langues

eng

Sous-ensembles de citation

IM

Informations de copyright

© 2023. The Psychonomic Society, Inc.

Références

Ackerman, P. L., & Woltz, D. J. (1994). Determinants of learning and performance in an associative memory/substitution task: Task constraints, individual differences, volition, and motivation. Journal of Educational Psychology, 86(4), 487–515. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.86.4.487
doi: 10.1037/0022-0663.86.4.487
Armstrong, B., Gallant, S. N., Li, L., Patel, K., & Wong, B. I. (2017). Stereotype threat effects on older adults’ episodic and working memory: A meta-analysis. The Gerontologist, 57(suppl_2), S193–S205. https://doi.org/10.1093/GERONT/GNX056
doi: 10.1093/GERONT/GNX056 pubmed: 28854607
Barber, S. J. (2017). An examination of age-based stereotype threat about cognitive decline. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 12(1), 62–90. https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691616656345
doi: 10.1177/1745691616656345 pubmed: 28073332 pmcid: 5731480
Barber, S. J., & Mather, M. (2013). Stereotype threat can both enhance and impair older adults’ memory. Psychological Science, 24(12), 2522–2529. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797613497023
doi: 10.1177/0956797613497023 pubmed: 24150969
Beilock, S. L., & DeCaro, M. S. (2007). From poor performance to success under stress: Working memory, strategy selection, and mathematical problem solving under pressure. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning Memory and Cognition, 33(6), 983–998. https://doi.org/10.1037/0278-7393.33.6.983
doi: 10.1037/0278-7393.33.6.983 pubmed: 17983308
Ben-Zeev, T., Fein, S., & Inzlicht, M. (2005). Arousal and stereotype threat. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 41(2), 174–181. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.JESP.2003.11.007
doi: 10.1016/J.JESP.2003.11.007
Blascovich, J., Spencer, S. J., Quinn, D., & Steele, C. (2001). African Americans and high blood pressure: The role of stereotype threat. Psychological Science, 12(3), 225–229. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9280.00340
doi: 10.1111/1467-9280.00340 pubmed: 11437305
Bonin, P., Méot, A., Aubert, L.-F., Malardier, N., Niedenthal, P. M., & Capelle-Toczek, M.-C. (2003). Normes de concrétude, de valeur d’imagerie, de fréquence subjective et de valence émotionnelle pour 866 mots. L’Année Psychologique, 103(4), 655–694. https://doi.org/10.3406/PSY.2003.29658
doi: 10.3406/PSY.2003.29658
Brubaker, M. S., & Naveh-Benjamin, M. (2018). The effects of stereotype threat on the associative memory deficit of older adults. Psychology and Aging, 33(1), 17–29. https://doi.org/10.1037/pag0000194
doi: 10.1037/pag0000194 pubmed: 29494175
Cadinu, M., Maass, A., Rosabianca, A., & Kiesner, J. (2005). Why do women underperform under stereotype threat? Psychological Science, 16(7), 572–578. https://doi.org/10.1111/J.0956-7976.2005.01577.X
doi: 10.1111/J.0956-7976.2005.01577.X pubmed: 16008792
Castel, A. D. (2005). Memory for grocery prices in younger and older adults: The role of schematic support. Psychology and Aging, 20(4), 718–721. https://doi.org/10.1037/0882-7974.20.4.718
doi: 10.1037/0882-7974.20.4.718 pubmed: 16420146
Crum, R. M., Anthony, J. C., Bassett, S. S., & Folstein, M. F. (1993). Population-based norms for the Mini-Mental State Examination by age and educational level. JAMA, 269(18), 2386–2391. https://doi.org/10.1001/JAMA.1993.03500180078038
Deltour, J. J. (1993). Echelle de vocabulaire de Mill Hill de JC Raven. Adaptation française et normes européennes du Mill Hill et du Standard Progressive Matrices de Raven (PM38). Braine-le-Château: Editions l’application des techniques modernes.
Duarte, A., & Dulas, M. R. (2020). Episodic memory decline in aging. In The Cambridge handbook of cognitive aging: A life course perspective (pp. 200–217). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108552684.013
doi: 10.1017/9781108552684.013
Dutrévis, M., & Croizet, J.-C. (2005). Reputation of intellectual inferiority undermines memory efficiency among college students. Current Research in Social Psychology, 10, 104–115.  https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2015-11200-001
Ferrand, L., & Alario, F. X. (1998). Normes d’associations verbales pour 366 noms d’objets concrets. L’Année Psychologique, 98(4), 659–709. https://doi.org/10.3406/PSY.1998.28564
doi: 10.3406/PSY.1998.28564
Folstein, M. F., Folstein, S. E., & McHugh, P. R. (1975). “Mini-mental state”. A practical method for grading the cognitive state of patients for the clinician. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 12(3), 189–198. https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-3956(75)90026-6
doi: 10.1016/0022-3956(75)90026-6 pubmed: 1202204
Harkins, S. G. (2006). Mere effort as the mediator of the evaluation-performance relationship. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 91(3), 436–455. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.91.3.436
doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.91.3.436 pubmed: 16938029
Hertzog, C., Touron, D. R., & Hines, J. C. (2007). Does a time-monitoring deficit influence older adults’ delayed retrieval shift during skill acquisition? Psychology and Aging, 22(3), 607–624.
doi: 10.1037/0882-7974.22.3.607 pubmed: 17874958
Hess, T. M., Auman, C., Colcombe, S. J., & Rahhal, T. A. (2003). The impact of stereotype threat on age differences in memory performance. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 58(1), 3–11. https://doi.org/10.1093/GERONB/58.1.P3
doi: 10.1093/GERONB/58.1.P3
Hess, T. M., Emery, L., & Queen, T. L. (2009). Task demands moderate stereotype threat effects on memory performance. Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences, 64(4), 482–486.
doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbp044 pubmed: 19483183
Higgins, E. T. (1997). Beyond pleasure and pain. American psychologist, 52(12), 1280–1300.
doi: 10.1037/0003-066X.52.12.1280 pubmed: 9414606
Hummert, M. L. (2011). Age stereotypes and aging. In Handbook of the psychology of aging (7th ed., pp. 249–262). Elsevier Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-380882-0.00016-4
doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-380882-0.00016-4
Jonker, C., Geerlings, M. I., & Schmand, B. (2000). Are memory complaints predictive for dementia? A review of clinical and population-based studies. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 15(11), 983–991. https://doi.org/10.1002/1099-1166(200011)15:11<983::AID-GPS238>3.0.CO;2-5
Lamont, R. A., Swift, H. J., & Abrams, D. (2015). A review and meta-analysis of age-based stereotype threat: Negative stereotypes, not facts, do the damage. Psychology and Aging, 30(1), 180–193. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0038586
doi: 10.1037/a0038586 pubmed: 25621742 pmcid: 4360754
Maquestiaux, F., & Ruthruff, E. (2021). Testing the over-reliance on central attention (ORCA) hypothesis: Do older adults have difficulty automatizing especially easy tasks? Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 150(9), 1722–1740. https://doi.org/10.1037/XGE0001020
doi: 10.1037/XGE0001020 pubmed: 33444045
Mazerolle, M., Régner, I., Morisset, P., Rigalleau, F., & Huguet, P. (2012). Stereotype threat strengthens automatic recall and undermines controlled processes in older adults. Psychological Science, 23(7), 723–727. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797612437607
doi: 10.1177/0956797612437607 pubmed: 22609539
Mazerolle, M., Régner, I., Rigalleau, F., & Huguet, P. (2015). Stereotype threat alters the subjective experience of memory. Experimental Psychology, 62(6), 395–402. https://doi.org/10.1027/1618-3169/a000303
doi: 10.1027/1618-3169/a000303 pubmed: 27120561
Mazerolle, M., Smith, A. M., Torrance, M., & Thomas, A. K. (2021). Understanding older adults' memory distortion in the light of stereotype threat. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 628696. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.628696
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.628696 pubmed: 33776850 pmcid: 7987663
Naveh-Benjamin, M. (2000). Adult age differences in memory performance: Tests of an associative deficit hypothesis. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning Memory and Cognition, 26(5), 1170–1187. https://doi.org/10.1037/0278-7393.26.5.1170
doi: 10.1037/0278-7393.26.5.1170 pubmed: 11009251
O’Brien, L. T., & Crandall, C. S. (2003). Stereotype threat and arousal: Effects on women’s math performance. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 29(6), 782–789. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167203029006010
doi: 10.1177/0146167203029006010 pubmed: 15189633
Popham, L. E., & Hess, T. M. (2015). Age differences in the underlying mechanisms of stereotype threat effects. The Journals of Gerontology: Series B, 70(2), 223–232. https://doi.org/10.1093/GERONB/GBT093
doi: 10.1093/GERONB/GBT093
Schmader, T., & Johns, M. (2003). Converging evidence that stereotype threat reduces working memory capacity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85(3), 440–452. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.85.3.440
doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.85.3.440 pubmed: 14498781
Schmader, T., Johns, M., & Forbes, C. (2008). An integrated process model of stereotype threat effects on performance. Psychological Review, 115(2), 336–356. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.115.2.336
doi: 10.1037/0033-295X.115.2.336 pubmed: 18426293 pmcid: 2570773
Seibt, B., & Förster, J. (2004). Stereotype threat and performance: How self-stereotypes influence processing by inducing regulatory foci. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 87(1), 38–56. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.87.1.38
doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.87.1.38 pubmed: 15250791
Spencer, S. J., Logel, C., & Davies, P. G. (2016). Stereotype threat. Annual Review of Psychology, 67, 415–437. https://doi.org/10.1146/ANNUREV-PSYCH-073115-103235
doi: 10.1146/ANNUREV-PSYCH-073115-103235 pubmed: 26361054
Steele, C. M., & Aronson, J. (1995). Stereotype threat and the intellectual test performance of African Americans. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69(5), 797–811. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.69.5.797
doi: 10.1037/0022-3514.69.5.797 pubmed: 7473032
Steele, C. M., & Davies, P. G. (2003). Stereotype threat and employment testing: A commentary. Human Performance, 16(3), 311–326. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327043HUP1603_7
doi: 10.1207/S15327043HUP1603_7
Touron, D. R. (2015). Memory avoidance by older adults. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 24(3), 170–176. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721414563730
doi: 10.1177/0963721414563730 pubmed: 26085714 pmcid: 4465366
Touron, D. R., & Hertzog, C. (2004a). Distinguishing Age Differences in Knowledge, Strategy Use, and Confidence During Strategic Skill Acquisition. Psychology and Aging, 19(3), 452–466. https://doi.org/10.1037/0882-7974.19.3.452
doi: 10.1037/0882-7974.19.3.452 pubmed: 15382996
Touron, D. R., & Hertzog, C. (2004b). Strategy shift affordance and strategy choice in young and older adults. Memory & Cognition, 32(2), 298–310.
doi: 10.3758/BF03196860
Zacks, R. T., Hasher, L., & Li, K. Z. H. (2000). Human memory. In The handbook of aging and cognition (2nd ed., pp. 293–357). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers.
Zajonc, R. B. (1965). Social facilitation. Science, 149(3681), 269–274. https://doi.org/10.1126/SCIENCE.149.3681.269/ASSET/EF516A96-1362-4569-B7A3-6AE35EEAB24E/ASSETS/SCIENCE.149.3681.269.FP.PNG
doi: 10.1126/SCIENCE.149.3681.269/ASSET/EF516A96-1362-4569-B7A3-6AE35EEAB24E/ASSETS/SCIENCE.149.3681.269.FP.PNG pubmed: 14300526
Zhang, X., Fung, X. H. H., Stanley, X. J. T., Isaacowitz, X. D. M., & Ho, M. Y. (2013). Perspective taking in older age revisited: A motivational perspective. Developmental Psychology, 49(10), 1848–1858. https://doi.org/10.1037/A0031211
doi: 10.1037/A0031211 pubmed: 23276131

Auteurs

Marie Mazerolle (M)

Université de Franche-Comté, LINC, MSHE, F-25000, Besançon, France. marie.mazerolle@univ-fcomte.fr.

Lucas Rotolo (L)

Université de Franche-Comté, LINC, MSHE, F-25000, Besançon, France.

François Maquestiaux (F)

Université de Franche-Comté, LINC, MSHE, F-25000, Besançon, France.
Univ Rouen Normandie, Normandie Univ, CRFDP UR 7475, F-76000, Rouen, France.

Classifications MeSH