The original intellectual level was controlled by matching the 174 senescents for vocabulary level with 174 individuals in the twenties. Results show completely reliable differences between the two groups, giving evidence of an actual decrease in memory at senescence. Older persons show relatively little decline in ability to receive new impressions but suffer greatly in their ability to form the new associations necessary to the learning of entirely new material. Their learning process seems to suffer from their decreased flexibility and adaptability. It is suggested that older persons who wish to compensate for their normal memory decline may practice remembering things. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2006 APA, all rights reserved)