Gaillard, V.
Université Libre de Bruxelles
It is well-established that working memory capacity (WMC) declines with age. The present experiment investigates the mechanisms underlying this deficit in the context of the Time-Based Resource-Sharing model (Barrouillet et al., 2004). According to this model, the dual functioning of working memory is achieved through a mechanism of time-based resource-sharing between processing and storage. Young and older adults (aged 20-30 and 70-86) performed a computer-paced operation span task, in which they had to maintain series of letters while verifying 2-operands additions. We manipulated cognitive load in two conditions, depending on whether the additions require a carry (high cognitive load) or not (low cognitive load). Above and beyond the main effects of age group and cognitive load, results indicate that cognitive load has a more detrimental effect on recall in the older group. Implications for the development and aging of WMC are discussed.