A Meta-Analytic Procedure Shows an Age-Related Decline in Picture Naming

Abstract

In the conclusion of their review of the literature, Goulet, Ska, and Kahn (1994) found no clear evidence that picture-naming accuracy declines with advancing age. However, another conclusion can be drawn if one considers the subset of studies in which means and standard deviations of picture-naming accuracy are reported for different age groups: below 50, between 50 and 69, and from 70 years of age upwards. A meta-analysis of these data showed that naming accuracy was similar in the younger and the intermediate groups but that the performance of the older group was significantly different from that of the younger groups. Thus, the problem of inconsistencies in research findings can be resolved when meta-analytic methods are used.