Examined 6 graduate students' performance of simple arithmetic calculations to test predictions of digital (counting), analog, and network models. Pairs of single-digit integers were presented and RTs for adding, multiplying, and comparing the stimuli were collected. A high correlation between RTs for addition and multiplication of the same digits was obtained. This result is consistent with a network model but presents difficulties for both analog and counting models. A "ties" effect of no increase in RT, with increases in problem size for doubles such as 2 + 2, has been found in previous studies of addition using verification procedures, but was not found with the production task employed in the present study. Instead, a different kind of ties effect was found: RT for both addition and multiplication of ties increased more slowly with problem size than did RT for non-tie problems. Findings support a distinction between location and accessibility of information in a network. (21 ref)

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This study examined age differences in recall for the literal and interpretive meanings of narrative text. Following presentation of one of two stories rich in both literal and interpretive content, younger (mean age = 19.2 years) and older (mean age = 72.2 years) adults were asked to retell and to interpret the story. Response task order was counterbalanced across participants. When asked to retell a story as close to the original as possible, the younger adults recalled more of the literal propositional content than did the older adults in the retell-first, although not in the interpret-first, condition. In addition, both older and younger adults recalled more of the main ideas (gist) relative to the details. When asked to interpret the same story, more older than younger adults produced deep and synthetic representations of the story's interpretive meanings. In addition, there was a clear preference among the older age group for deep-synthetic responding. Although more younger than older adults produced analytic interpretations, within the younger group there was no clear preference for either an analytic or a deep-synthetic style.

In order to examine age differences in everyday memory experiences, twelve younger (mean age = 28) and twelve older (mean age = 59) adults kept diaries of their experiences of memory failures and use of memory aids. There was a general increase with age in the absolute number of memory failures, upset ratings about memory failures, and frequency of memory aid use. There were no age differences in the relative frequency of particular types of memory failures or memory aids that were used. The results suggested that older adults experience more memory failures and are more concerned about memory failures than younger adults, but that they attempt to deal with this problem by increased use of memory aids.