Effect of Ageing on Memory Retention: A Study on Younger and Older Adults

Psychology

ABSTRACT
Ageing is a process affecting a human body in a such a way which leads to psychological
as well as biological changes in it. Healthy ageing promotes physical and mental wellbeing at
older age which shows positive wellbeing, cognitive functioning and life satisfaction. Usually
younger people are found to be fit in terms of both physical and mental health. In this study, the
researcher has hypothesized that whether there is statistical significance lies among the people’s
ability to retain list of words in their memory by recruiting participants for two different age
groups that is, the younger people (18 – 34 years old) and older people (65 or older). These two
groups have 100 participants each totaling to 200. The percentage retention scores within the two
groups have been compared through independent sample t-test and accordingly, it has been
identified that there is a statistical significance lies within the means of these two groups as the
significance value comes to 0.000. Further, through correlation analysis, it has been determined
that there is a very low and negative relationship among the memory retention score and spot the
difference game performance in younger adults’ (r= -0.008 and p = 0.939) group while in case of
older adults’, there were the positive and strong relationship identified within the performance in
spot the difference game and memory retention scores (r = 0.830, p = 0.000). The overall
relationship was found to be moderately correlated with r = 0.693 and p = 0.000. At last, it has
been concluded that through good nutrition and appropriate physical and mental exercise in daily
lives, healthy ageing can be ensured.

Table of Contents
ABSTRACT....................................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................4
METHODS & MATERIALS..........................................................................................................5
RESULTS........................................................................................................................................6
DISCUSSION & CONCLUSION.................................................................................................15
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................18

INTRODUCTION
Healthy ageing is can be defined as the process through which maintenance and development of
mental and physical functionality in such a manner which in turn facilitates wellbeing while
reaching at older age. Healthy ageing usually include survival to a certain higher age that is, 65
years or older along with being free from any kind of chronic disease which makes it possible to
perform daily life activities autonomously which indicates better quality of life, high level of
social participation with no or little disability Aman, et. al. (2021). In several studies it has been
studied that changes that are taking place within the ability to memorize or think is significantly
resulting from the ageing process. The declination resulting from ageing usually shows the signs
of difficulties in retaining or sustaining attention, slowness in thinking, finding words as well as
holding information in mind.
For the purpose of healthy ageing, it is necessary to take care of mental, physical as well as the
cognitive health Kim, & Jazwinski, (2018). Healthy ageing is associated with better brain &
physical health which comes from combination of physical activity, good nutrition and social &
mental engagement because these factors promotes good health for the brain.
Ageing population usually shows the risks of dementia which involves loss of cognitive
functioning that affects people’s ability to think, remember and reason. Accordingly, their ability
to retain something in their memory decreases. It is a rule of thumb that with ageing, one’s
ability to think, remember, hear and see gets affected because of general changes taking place
due to age Stromsnes, et. al (2021).
Measuring how ageing has the effect over mental or physical health could be possible by
performing testing of individuals belonging from two different groups at regular time intervals.
In this study, the effect of ageing has been determined over the mental health of people through
memory retention scores calculated on the basis of immediate and subsequent delayed memory
test Friedman, et. al. (2019). This will provide a base for how healthy ageing affects the ability of
an individual at young or older age in retaining a list of words in their respective episodic long
term memory. People were given with the list of words containing 15 words and then immediate
testing of their retention power was done followed by spot the difference game and then again
the subsequent memory test was performed.