The image on my poster illustrates a graph that shows the prototypical pattern of forgetting; information is initially remembered quickly, but then begins to decline over time. This pattern demonstrates that memory does indeed change as we age; generally speaking, older adults experience more difficulty than younger adults in remembering information for both short- and long-term tasks. However, though memory does decline with aging, research has shown that there are ways to improve it. My poster includes the following evidence:

– A study conducted by Hasher and Zacks (1999) found that older adults who were taught specific strategies for encoding memories showed improvement in their performance on word recall tests compared to those who did not receive instruction

– Another study published in 2010 demonstrated that mentally stimulating activities such as reading complex material or playing games such as chess could help prevent cognitive declines associated with aging

– Finally, research has even suggested that physical activity can improve executive functions such as working memory—an essential component of successful learning—in people aged 60 years or older

Overall, this poster supports the statement “Memory changes with age and can be improved by various interventions” by demonstrating evidence from several studies regarding how pre-existing strategies and recently developed techniques could help mitigate age-related declines in memory functioning.