Abstract
Previous studies revealed consistently enhanced recognition memory for same- as compared to other-age faces (own-age bias, OAB) in young adults, but inconsistent results in elderly participants. To resolve these discrepancies, we examined recognition memory and event-related potentials (ERPs) for young and old faces in young participants and two elderly groups, which either reported high or low degrees of daily contact with elderly relative to younger persons. As expected, young adults showed more accurate memory for young versus old faces. While no OAB was found in old/low contact participants, old/high contact participants were more accurate with old versus young faces. ERPs in young adults revealed a parietal old/new effect from 500-800 ms (hits > correct rejections) for young but not old faces. While no old/new effect was seen in the old/low contact group, the old/high contact participants exhibited a prominent reversed old/new effect (hits <correct rejections) for old faces. These results suggest that contact may account for earlier discrepant results with regard to the OAB in elderly participants. A behavioral OAB in elderly participants may depend on high degrees of contact towards old people. Moreover, the pattern of ERP old/new effects suggests that contact may affect recollection-based face memory.
Meeting abstract presented at VSS 2012