TY - JOUR
T1 - Long-Term Retention of a Spatial Mental Model for Younger and Older Adults
AU - Gilbert, D. Kristen
AU - Rogers, Wendy A.
AU - Samuelson, Mary E.
N1 - Funding Information:
The research was supported in part by a grant from the National Institutes of Health (National Institute on Aging) Grant No. P01 AG17211 under the auspices of the Center for Research and Education on Aging and Technology Enhancement (CREATE). Portions of these data were presented at the Sixth Cognitive Aging Conference (Atlanta, April, 1996). The authors would like to thank Dan Fisk for comments on this project.
PY - 2004/4
Y1 - 2004/4
N2 - Mental models are knowledge structures that are used to describe, predict, and explain the system that they represent. Mental models can be useful for both younger and older adults. Past research (Gilbert & Rogers, 1999, Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 54B, P246-P255) indicated that both younger and older adults were able to acquire and utilize a new spatial mental model. Younger and older adult participants from that research returned after a 2-week interval and a group of younger adult participants returned after 4 weeks to determine if their mental model was retained over time. Retention was best for the younger adult 2-week group; performance did not differ for the older adult 2-week and younger adult 4-week groups. Participants who were able to reconstruct the map initially were able to utilize the information very well, regardless of age or retention interval. In addition, both younger and older adults who showed lower initial retention benefited from a brief study time. Implications for refresher training are discussed.
AB - Mental models are knowledge structures that are used to describe, predict, and explain the system that they represent. Mental models can be useful for both younger and older adults. Past research (Gilbert & Rogers, 1999, Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, 54B, P246-P255) indicated that both younger and older adults were able to acquire and utilize a new spatial mental model. Younger and older adult participants from that research returned after a 2-week interval and a group of younger adult participants returned after 4 weeks to determine if their mental model was retained over time. Retention was best for the younger adult 2-week group; performance did not differ for the older adult 2-week and younger adult 4-week groups. Participants who were able to reconstruct the map initially were able to utilize the information very well, regardless of age or retention interval. In addition, both younger and older adults who showed lower initial retention benefited from a brief study time. Implications for refresher training are discussed.
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U2 - 10.1080/03610730490274266
DO - 10.1080/03610730490274266
M3 - Article
C2 - 15204634
AN - SCOPUS:1542720547
SN - 0361-073X
VL - 30
SP - 217
EP - 224
JO - Experimental Aging Research
JF - Experimental Aging Research
IS - 2
ER -