Generalizing from research described in the text, you would expect older adults to suffer the greatest memory decrement on which of the following tasks?
A) arithmetic calculations, such as balancing a check book
B) vocabulary, such as that needed to solve a crossword puzzle
C) story-telling of stories from their distant past or childhood
D) knowledge of a second language learned in childhood and used in early adulthood

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The greatest memory decline in older adulthood is for tasks involving episodic, rather than semantic, memory. Episodic memories involve the recall of specific past events, whereas semantic memories involve factual recall. In this example, arithmetic, vocabulary, and knowledge of a second language all depend on semantic memory, whereas recall of childhood events is an episodic memory task. Thus, recall of past episodes is the type of memory task where the greatest decrement would be expected.

Generalizing from Research Described in the Text, You Would Expect