
21Chapter two: Characteristics of older adult learners
In terms of specic abilities, it is generally thought that memory
declines with age. However, this is an oversimplication. Memory is com-
plex and there are different types of memory. Working memory, which
refers to the ability to temporarily hold information while we process
it or use it, declines with age. For example, imagine that you are listen-
ing to someone giving you instructions on how to use a new version of
Microsoft Word while you are editing a document. In this case you are
1008060
Age
R Sq Linear = 0.022
4020
–4.0
–3.0
–2.0
–1.0
0.0
1.0
2.0
Figure 2