Age, Working Memory, Figurative Language Type, and Reading Ability

Abstract

This study investigated the cognitive and linguistic factors presumed to be associated with adult comprehension of figurative language, including age, working memory (WM), figurative language type, and reading comprehension (RC). Forty younger ( M =22 years) and 40 older ( M =63 years) healthy African American adults completed WM and reading tasks, and the 60-item forced-choice multiple-category (20 idioms, 20 metaphors, and 20 metonyms) Figurative Language Comprehension Test. After controlling for WM and RC, the older adults outperformed the younger adults on idioms and metonyms. Metaphor comprehension was comparable between the groups. Findings demonstrate that WM and RC underlie adults' comprehension of figurative language and should be considered when interpreting performance on tests assessing figurative language competence in this population.