Proactive and coactive interference in age-related performance in a recognition-based operation span task.

BACKGROUND Generally, older adults perform worse than younger adults in complex working memory span tasks. So far, it is unclear which processes mainly contribute to age-related differences in working memory span. OBJECTIVE The aim of the present study was to investigate age effects and the roles of proactive and coactive interference in a recognition-based version of the operation span task. METHODS Younger and older adults performed standard versions and distracter versions of the operation span task. At retrieval, participants had to recognize target words in word lists containing targets as well as proactive and/or coactive interference-related lures. RESULTS Results show that, overall, younger adults outperformed older adults in the recognition of target words. Furthermore, analyses of error types indicate that, while younger adults were only affected by simultaneously presented distracter words, older adults had difficulties with both proactive and coactive interference. CONCLUSION Results suggest that age effects in complex span tasks may not be mainly due to retrieval deficits in old age.