Faculté de Psychologie et des Sciences de l'Éducation Faculté de Psychologie et des Sciences de l'Éducation

Experimental Cognitive Aging

In the research area "Experimental cognitive aging", we examine the development of higher order cognitive control functions across the lifespan. Here, we aim at both describing their lifespan trajectories as well as examining underlying developmental mechanisms.

 

Currently three main questions are pursued.

1. One emphasis in this area is on the examination of lifespan development in prospective memory, executive functioning and involuntary autobiographical memory. One particular aim is to resolve the so called age-prospective memory-paradox, describing the common pattern that older adults outperform young adults in naturalistic prospective memory tasks, while young adults outperform the elderly in lab-based prospective memory tasks. Furthermore, we are interested in the role executive functions and working memory play in the development of prospective memory in childhood, adolescence, middle adulthood and old age. A rather novel issue in our research is the investigation of spontaneous retrieval processes in prospective memory and involuntary autobiographical memory.

Selected publications:

  • Rose, N. S., Rendell, P., McDaniel, M., Aberle, I., & Kliegel, M. (2010). Age and Individual Differences in Prospective Memory During a “Virtual Week”: The Role of Working Memory, Vigilance, Task-Regularity, and Cue-Focality. Psychology and Aging, 25, 595-605. doi:10.1037/a0019771
  • Kliegel, M., Mackinlay, R. & Jäger, T. (2008). Complex prospective memory: Development across the lifespan and the role of task interruption. Developmental Psychology, 44, 612-617. doi: 10.1037/0012-1649.44.2.612
  • Schlagman, S., Kliegel, M., Schulz, J. & Kvavilashvili, L. (2009). Differential effects of age on involuntary and voluntary autobiographical memory. Psychology and Aging, 24, 397-411. doi: 10.1037/a0015785

 

2. A second aim concerns the interaction of emotional processes and cognitive functioning in old age. A focus is laid on emotional valence of stimulus material and the emotional states young and older adults may have; thus we ask questions such as how does emotional meaningful task material affect age differences in memory performance? How does sad and happy mood influence age-related memory performance? In terms of cognitive processes examined, besides memory we study those effects in age-related cognitive control functions.

Selected publications:

  • Schnitzspahn, K. M., Horn, S. S., Bayen, U. J., & Kliegel, M. (2012). Age Effects in Emotional Prospective Memory: Cue Valence Differentially Affects the Prospective and Retrospective Component. Psychology and Aging, 27, 498-509. doi : 10.1037/a0025021
  • Rendell, P. G., Phillips, L. H., Henry, J. D., Brumby-Rendell, T., de la Piedad Garcia, X., Altgassen, M., & Kliegel, M. (2011). Prospective memory, emotional valence and aging. Cognition and Emotion, 25, 916-925. doi : 10.1080/02699931.2010.508610
  • Altgassen, M., Phillips, L., Henry, J., Rendell, P., & Kliegel, M. (2010). Emotional target cues eliminate age differences in prospective memory. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 63, 1057-1064. doi : 10.1080/17470211003770920

 

3. A most recent topic of interest in the area of cognitive development for our group is the exploration of cognitive plasticity across the lifespan. Can executive functions be improved by training? Which training is most effective for which cognitive processes and in which age range? Are training effects specific or can they transfer to non-trained domains? Several training studies are conducted to answer these questions.

Selected publications:

  • Zinke, K., Zeintl, M., Eschen, A., Herzog, C., & Kliegel, M. (2012). Potentials and limits of plasticity induced by working memory training in old-old age. Gerontology, 58, 79-87. doi : 10.1159/000324240
  • Zinke, K., Einert, M., Pfennig, L., & Kliegel, M. (2012). Plasticity of executive control through task switching training in adolescents. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 6, 41. doi : 10.3389/fnhum.2012.00041
  • Kliegel, M., Zinke, K., & Hering, A. (2012). Plastizität [Plasticity]. In H.W. Wahl, C. Tesch-Römer & J.P. Ziegelmann (Hrsg.), Angewandte Gerontologie: Interventionen für ein gutes Altern in 100 Schlüsselbegriffen (pp. 72-77). Stuttgart: Kohlhammer.

 

Research in this area is supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) as well as the Australian Research Council (ARC).