Explain how autobiographical memory shows predictable patterns of deterioration. Why does long-term memory follow this pattern?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

When older adults are asked to discuss a personal memory or experience that comes to mind in response to cue words, such as the words surprise or song, they commonly recall experiences they had during adolescence and early adulthood. Similarly, when asked to create a timeline of memorable events in their lives, older adults tend to remember events from adolescence through early adulthood; they also remember recent events better than midlife events. In addition, they are more likely to remember happy events that occurred between ages 10 and 30 than those that occurred any other time in life.
Perhaps we process events differently during our adolescent and early adult years, a time when we are constructing our identities. And perhaps we are less adept at recalling events from middle adulthood because of interference, as new memories interfere with our recall of older memories. Similarities among events may make it difficult to distinguish them. Throughout life, memory is malleable and we often revise our memories in light of new experiences. However, it also appears that older adults recall fewer details from recent events (within the past 5 years), and different types of details, than do younger adults. This suggests that older and younger adults differ in what stimuli they attend to and select for processing.