False Remembering in the Aged

ABSTRACT—Researchers studying human memory have increasingly focused on memory accuracy in aging popu-lations. In this article we briefly review the literature on memory accuracy in healthy older adults. The prevailing evidence indicates that, compared to younger adults, older adults exhibit both diminished memory accuracy and greater susceptibility tomisinformation. In addition, older adults demonstrate high levels of confidence in their false memories. We suggest an explanatory framework for the high level of false memories observed in older adults, a framework based on the theory that consciously controlled uses of memory decline with age,making older adults more susceptible to false memories that rely on automatic proc-esses. We also point to future research that may remedy such deficits in accuracy