Processing relational and item-specific information: Effects of aging and division of attention.

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Abstract
Young and older adults encoded items from categorizable lists under incidental learning conditions. Two orienting tasks were used: (a) a category sorting tasks, which required the encoding of item-features shared by two or more items on the lists (relational processing), and (b) a pleasantness rating task, which encouranged the encoding of features unique to each list item (item-specific processing). The number of items/category was varied (between 2 and 14) within each list. In addition, one group of youngs adults performed the orienting tasks while simultaneously engaged in an attention-demanding secondary task (divided-attention condition). Recall declined with both age and division of attention, while recall clustering was greatest for the older adults and least for the young divided-attention subjects. The effects of category size and orienting tasks on recall did not vary across subject groups. The results are discussed in terms of component process and resource deficit theories of cognitive aging.
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