The effects of elaboration on working memory and long-term memory across age

Free time to attend and process information in working memory is key promoting immediate delayed retention. One candidate cause this benefit elaboration. We conducted three experiments with young adults – two of which included older investigate whether free used for elaboration, elaboration causes the free-time benefit. Participants remembered lists nouns, interleaved short or long intervals, filler words connecting all nouns into a meaningful sentence assist For adults, assisted through sentences, additional instruction form mental image, benefited performance working-memory test as much longer time, but not more. In contrast, long-term memory, benefits exceeded those time. Older did from elaborations test, providing further evidence that deficit arises at least part This driven by generating richer representations.