Scam artists exploit elders’ vulnerability to false memories
Older folks can be swayed by the power of suggestion.Especially if you’re older, get everything in writing, from estimates to receipts. Psychologists at Washington University in St. Louis report that the memory function of people in their mid-60s and up is easily swayed by the power of suggestion, making them more vulnerable to memory-related scams. Their study appears in the May 2005 issue of the Journal of Experimental Psychology (JEP): General, which is published by the American Psychological Association.
Purdue University conference honors WUSTL memory expert Roddy Roediger, March 25-27
RoedigerSome of the nation’s top memory researchers are meeting at Purdue University on March 25-27 to talk about the most important findings in the field and to honor one of their own. The conference, entitled “Roddyfest: Directions in Memory Research,” honors Henry L. “Roddy” Roediger III, a pioneer in memory research and former Purdue professor. Roediger is chair of the Department of Psychology in Arts & Sciences at WUSTL.
False memories, failing recall are not an inevitable consequence of aging, research suggests
The human brainThe failing memories of older adults, including their tendency to remember things that never happened, are not an inevitable consequence of aging, according to Washington University research presented Aug. 8 at the American Psychological Association meeting in Toronto. The study offers evidence that false memories and other cognitive declines often associated with normal aging can be more directly linked to measurable declines in executive control functions in frontal brain lobes.