Cueing autobiographical memory in young and older adults: an exploration of the effect of cue type on retrieval rates and memory characteristics

Current theories of autobiographical memory (AM) emphasise the involvement of several non-memory auxiliary processes, such as executive function and mental imagery. However, the contribution of these processes to AM retrieval under different circumstances remains poorly understood, particularly in the context of ageing. The extent to which different AM tasks rely on auxiliary processing could explain variability in age-related AM deficits across different contexts. The current study explores the effect of cues varying in format (words, questions, sentences, photos, and videos) and content (e.g., event cues, evaluative cues, imagery cues) on AM retrieval rates in young and older adults. In Experiment 1, young and older adults (n=101) retrieved AMs in response to a set of 208 cues; dependent variables were the proportion of cues that produced a memory, and ratings of the characteristics of the retrieved memories. Results showed that retrieval rates were influenced by both cue format and cue content, with cues that most closely mapped the task requirements producing the largest proportion of memories, regardless of other cue features (e.g., detail, imagery). Study 2 collected data from a separate group of 106 adults concerning their interpretation of the same cues, and analysed the responses in relation to the data from Experiment 1. Both retrieval rates and memory characteristics were related to features of the cues, such as specificity, theme, and emotional content. Data suggested that less easily accessed memories tended to be more autobiographically important. All materials and data – including 2500 brief descriptions of participants’ autobiographical memories – are freely available for further exploration.