Are There Age Differences in Chunking?

Abstract

We examined the ability of younger and older adults to organize letter sequences in memory when no external inducement of chunking was used. In order to do so, subjects were tested on a paired-associate, serial recall task. From these data the number of completely recalled sequences was computed, as well as global and stop transitional error probabilities (TEPs). Older adults recalled fewer correct letter sequences than did the young adults, but the global and stop TEP data indicated that both age groups were chunking the four-letter sequences into two sets of two letters. Thus, the present study indicates that there are no age differences in primary organization, but that older adults exhibit an age deficit in serial recall.