Memory and Aging

Abstract Deliberate memory for personally experienced events generally declines during the course of normal aging. However, different aspects of memory have different age trajectories. Episodic memory is one of a constellation of intercorrelated cognitive abilities that show age-related changes, including speed, working memory, cognitive control, and sensory function. This chapter examines the nature of age-related changes in episodic, semantic, and procedural memory, focusing on episodic memory. After characterizing these changes, the chapter situates memory aging in the context of other cognitive abilities. Age-related changes in the representation of new experiences, the role of strategic processes at encoding and retrieval, and the ways that prior knowledge can mitigate or exacerbate memory decline are discussed.