Cited by 615Cognitive Abilities and TestingAging and Gerontology ResearchCognitive Functions and Memory

Mediation of adult age differences in cognition by reductions in working memory and speed of processing

Salthouse, Timothy A.·1991·Psychological Science

Abstract

Three studies, involving a total of 672 adults between 20 and 84 years of age, were conducted to evaluate the relative importance of working memory and perceptual comparison speed in the age-related differences in selected measures of cognitive functioning. The same measures of working memory and comparison speed were used in each study, but the studies differed in the specific cognitive measures examined. A common finding across all studies was that the magnitude of the age-related cognitive differences was greatly reduced by statistically controlling measures of working memory and perceptual comparison speed. Many of the age differences in process or fluid aspects of cognition therefore appear to be mediated by age-related reductions in working memory, which may in turn be largely mediated by age-related reductions in the speed of executing simple processing operations.

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Crossref · 10.1111/j.1467-9280.1991.tb00127.x

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12 of 12 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • Cognitive slowing cannot fully account for age-related cognitive decline.

    “However, it has been argued that cognitive slowing cannot fully account for age-related cognitive decline (Bugg et al., 2006; Salthouse, 1991; Schaie, 1989).”

    From Reducing working memory load in spoken dialogue systems (2009) · cites this paper as Salthouse, 1991

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Authors
Salthouse, T. A.
Affiliations
Georgia Institute of Technology (US)
Corresponding author
Salthouse, Timothy A.
Venue
Psychological Science
Published
1991-05
Volume
2
Issue
3
Pages
179-183
ISSN
  • 0956-7976 (ISSN-L)
  • 1467-9280
OpenAlex
W2161301790
Cited by
615
References
12
Citations by year
2026: 7 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 16 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 17 · 2020: 20 · 2019: 27 · 2018: 12 · 2017: 15 · 2016: 27 · 2015: 28 · 2014: 17 · 2013: 13 · 2012: 31
FWCI
22.30
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
Psychological Science (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Abilities and Testing
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Aging and Gerontology Research
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Cognitive Functions and Memory
Keywords
age-related cognitive decline, working memory, processing speed, mediation, fluid intelligence, process speed, older adults, cognitive aging

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