Clyde's Corner

Clyde Lindley

Quotable Quotes

"Nothing is every wiped out."
-- William James

"No one is as deaf as the person who will not listen."
-- Unknown

"There is no certainty without some doubt."
-- Mandel & R.E. Lessing, "Statistics in Management," 196. (Think of sampling risk.)

"The direction in which education starts a mean will determine his future life."
-- Plato

"Every start upon an untrodden path is a venture which only in unusual circumstances looks sensible and likely to be successful."
-- Albert Schwietzer

"Do not regret growing old; it is a privilege denied to many."
-- Unknown

"Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine."
-- Lord Bryon

What Happens to Memory as You Grow Old?

We are already aware that the population of the U.S. is growing older. ¹ Let's look at what the older population will be in the year 2000.

Projection of Older Population, Year 2000
(In millions)

All Ages	267,955
55 - 64	23,767
65 - 74	17,677
75 - 84	12,318
85 and over	4,826
Total over 55	58,688 (22%)
Total 65 and over	34,821 (13%)

U.S. Bureau of the Census, Projection of the Population of the U.S. by Age, Sex & Race, 1983-2000.

It isn't only older persons who become concerned about their Memory. As people reach 40, and especially 50, many begin to worry about what happens to their minds. And consider that approximately 4,166,000 Baby Boomers become 50 each year (beginning in 1996 and continuing until 2015. ¹

Several clients have come to the Center for Psychological Service stating: "I think I'm losing my mind. I have difficulty remembering things - I run into someone I know, and I can't remember his/her name. Also, I seem to forget things -- I go into another room to get something and when I get there, I have forgotten what I came for!" Older persons who have similar experiences worry more. Although they are aware of the fact that many young persons are forgetful, they are also troubled about several myths of aging -- such as, "your mind doesn't function very well when you age," "you can't learn when you get older," (all are false).

Since memory and learning are very complex factors at an age, the reader is referred to the book on "Testing Older Adults" ² and a journal reference in The Gerontologist." ³

Let's examine some of the important factors in Memory.

Definition: Memory is the process of reproducing what has been learned. It is the ability to retain information about past events.

The memory bank makes it possible to plan future events.

Forgetting is the complementary process, the loss of remembering an event/experience.

Kinds of Memory

Semantic - Knowledge of facts.
Implicit - skills (habits) one exercises automatically
Episodic - for special events

Factors Affecting Recall

Rate of learning
Meaningfulness
Set (psychological attitude)
Muscular tension
Medications
Kinds of memory

Keys to Better Memory

Keep active mentally and physically
Focus on what you can remember
Overlearn - active attitude
Repeat what you learn ASAP
Relate it to something you already know
Constant use of what you learn

References

¹ Lindley, Clyde J. "The Aging of Americans." IPMA Assessment Council News. Oct. 1996.

² Hunt, T. & Lindley , C.J. "Testing Older Adults: A Reference Guide to Geropsychological Assessments," 1989. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed (Distributed by the Center for Psychological Service).

3 Zarit, S.J., Cole, K.D., & Guider, R.L. 1981. Memory training strategies and subjective complaints of memory in the aged. The Gerontologist, 21, 158-164.

Clyde is the Director of the Center for Psychological Services, 1608 Sanford Road, Silver Spring, MD 20902. Phone: (301) 754-1070.