Word familiarity and cardiovascular health as determinants of age-related recall differences.

This study investigated surprise free recall in two generations of adults following a semantic processing task. The study was designed to determine the effect of word familiarity and cardiovascular health status on the age-related decrement typically demonstrated in that task. Two lists were used. One list contained words familiar to young adults, whereas the other contained words familiar to older adults. Cardiovascular health status of older adults was assessed by determining whether the person was taking medication prescribed for cardiovascular problems. Participants rated half the words on a pleasantness scale and half on a size scale and were then given a surprise free-recall test. The results indicated that word familiarity and cardiovascular health status both have significant effects on the age-related decrement in free recall following a semantic processing task.