ABSTRACT

Objective : This study examines how the performance of implicit memory is different between older and younger people, its implication, and the difference in memory task performance due to perceptual processing.Methods : The study examined the variance of analysis after conducting a word-stem completion task (implicit memory test) and word recall task (explicit memory test) for two groups composed of young and elderly people respectively. Tasks for semantic processing and perceptual processing were divided into learning and test stages. Implicit memory was tested first, followed by explicit memory.Results : First, performance of memory tasks showed significant difference between older and younger people. Second, the memory task outcomes of younger people varied significantly, but those of older people did not. Finally, the interaction between memory task and level of processing was statistically significant.Conclusion : Memory ability deteriorates with aging, but implicit memory can be sustained relatively well with little damage. Thus, by applying this finding to occupational therapy, the memory ability of older people can be enhanced, and negative perception about the deterioration of memory with aging can be changed in order to improve the quality of older people's lives.