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Memory training for seniors

A review of the research shows that memory training can significantly improve memory performance in older adults¹. What is intriguing is that it has much less effect on their beliefs about their memory abilities². This fits in, of course, with the general finding that people tend to be very poor in assessing their own memory abilities (see Memory in normal aging).

Research indicates that training which includes instruction designed to modify people's expectancies and beliefs about memory, is more successful than training which deals solely with memory strategies. Providing more background information about the memory strategies - why it works, etc - also appears to lead to greater memory improvement. This is, of course, the basis for my own book on memory, and of this website.

It has also been suggested that a complex and intellectually stimulating environment helps prevent cognitive decline in later life. Certainly it seems that, for whatever reason, cognitive decline is less in those who engage more frequently in cognitively stimulating activities. It has also been suggested that word games (such as scrabble and crosswords) may help reduce those tip-of-the-tongue experiences where particular words cannot quite be recalled.

Resources:

I've had a look around the Web for sites that can offer opportunities to stimulate the brain or, even better, train it in particular memory skills. I've listed a few below. But my absolute favorite for training and practice in attention and memory skills is the Lumosity Brain Training site.

Another general training site is the French-run Happy Neuron site.

Free resources are not of course nearly as sophisticated, but here's a few for you to play with:

There's some games indexed here that might help you increase your digit span (a measure of working memory capacity).

You can also work on improving your working memory capacity in the Memory Gym 

Brainfit also offers a few games for improving your attention and working memory capacity.

And NASA has a few games that I quite like this because it also offers information about how memory works in these particular situations.

Mental stimulation:

http://www.queendom.com/mindgames/

http://www.psychtests.com/mindgames/

word puzzles:

http://www.vocabulary.com/

http://www.rozies.com/Zzzz/Ringers/R-index.html

http://wordzap.com/enigma/enigma.asp

http://www.etymologic.com/

http://www.thepotters.com/puzzles.html

http://members.cox.net/jjschnebel/palin.html (thinking up palindromes)

for more, you can search http://www.wolinskyweb.com/word.htm where " most of the great sites on the web devoted to puns, slanguage, anagrams, puzzles, MadLibs, and lots more" have been catalogued.

Memory tests:

test your memory for news events at: http://memory.uva.nl/

To cite this article: McPherson, F. 2002. Memory training for seniors. http://www.memory-key.com/seniors/training.htm

Copyright © 2002 Capital Research Limited.

Permission is granted to copy and distribute this material in educational settings, provided that the author is advised and due acknowledgment is made of the source on any handouts.