Abstract
Three experiments have demonstrated that age-related increases in both probability and speed of false recognitions for word lists depended on the use of a gist-based memory strategy. When test conditions promoted a gist strategy,
both younger and older participants were as likely to falsely recognize a thematically associated lure as to correctly recognize a studied item,
and both groups were equally fast in making these decisions. However,
when test conditions deemphasized a gist-based strategy,
older adults were more likely than younger adults,
and faster,
to falsely recognize both strong and weakly associated lures. These findings suggest an age-related increase in reliance on gist-based processing that may underlie age differences in false memory.