Directed forgetting in older adults using the item and list methods

Four experiments investigated age-group differences in directed forgetting. Experiments 1A and 1B used the item method with recall (1A) and recognition (1B). Both of these experiments showed evidence of directed forgetting for both younger and older adults. The list method was used in Experiments 2A (recall) and 2B (recognition). For these experiments, there was directed forgetting when recall, but not recognition, was the dependent measure. Again, these results were found for younger and older adults. These results are discussed in terms of how different presentation types lead to the use of different theoretical mechanisms of directed forgetting (e.g., differential encoding, retrieval inhibition). Thus, it appears that both older and younger adults engage in adaptive memory strategies.