Training Older Adults to Improve their Episodic Memory

Abstract

This chapter reviews the episodic memory difficulties typically encountered by older adults. It presents data that demonstrates that mnemonic interventions can improve episodic memory in the elderly, though such improvements often do not transfer broadly and do not result in improvements in the area of subjective memory assessment. It then presents three approaches to improving episodic memory for numeric information, each based upon a different approach. These approaches demonstrate: (a) that a mnemonic targeted at numeric information can improve number recall; (b) that self-generated strategies can improve recall at nearly the same level as a targeted mnemonic; and (c) that episodic memory can be converted into procedural memory, though this approach did not demonstrate improved episodic memory performance. Future directions for memory remediation are discussed, based upon research findings to date.