Background: Age-related stereotype threat impacts episodic memory performance. This study compared the predictors of memory performance in older adults with and without exposure to age-related stereotype threat, hypothesizing that activating the stereotype threat modulates the relative weight of metamemory predictors of memory performance.Methods: Participants were 80 older adults (aged 60-84 years) divided into two groups, one with stereotype threat activation and one without; both groups performed an episodic memory task. To activate the stereotype threat, the memory component of the task was emphasized in the instruction given to the threatened group. Both groups also completed two scales of the MIA questionnaire (locus of control and anxiety) to identify potential predictors of memory performance.Results: Results indicated that the non-threatened group performed better than the threatened group on the episodic memory task. They also indicated that factors predicting episodic memory performance varied according to the group. In the non-threatened group, both control and anxiety were involved in memory performance and interacted whereas in the threatened group only anxiety was involved.Conclusion: This study confirms that aging stereotype threat impairs episodic memory performance; it also suggests that stereotype threat disrupts mechanisms underlying memory performance abolishing the role of control over memory regardless of the level of anxiety.

中文翻译：

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基于记忆年龄的刻板印象威胁：控制和焦虑源的作用。

背景：与年龄有关的刻板印象威胁会影响情节性记忆表现。这项研究比较了有和没有暴露于与年龄相关的刻板印象威胁的老年人的记忆表现的预测因素，假设激活刻板印象的威胁会调节记忆表现的元记忆预测因素的相对权重。方法：参与者为80位老年人（年龄在60- 84年）分为两组，一组具有定型威胁激活，而另一组没有。两组都执行了情景记忆任务。为了激活刻板印象威胁，在给受威胁群体的指示中强调了任务的记忆部分。两组还完成了MIA问卷的两个量表（控制位点和焦虑程度），以识别潜在的记忆表现指标。结果表明，在情景记忆任务中，未威胁组的表现优于威胁组。他们还指出，预测情景记忆表现的因素因组而异。在非威胁组中，控制和焦虑都与记忆表现有关，并且相互影响，而在威胁组中，只有焦虑与情绪有关。结论：这项研究证实，陈旧的刻板印象威胁会损害情节性的记忆表现。它也表明，刻板印象威胁破坏了内存性能的基础机制，从而消除了对内存控制的作用，而不管其焦虑程度如何。在非威胁组中，控制和焦虑都与记忆表现有关，并且相互影响，而在威胁组中，只有焦虑与情绪有关。结论：这项研究证实，陈旧的刻板印象威胁会损害情节性的记忆表现。它也表明，刻板印象威胁破坏了内存性能的基础机制，从而消除了对内存控制的作用，而不管其焦虑程度如何。在非威胁组中，控制和焦虑都与记忆表现有关，并且相互影响，而在威胁组中，只有焦虑与情绪有关。结论：这项研究证实，陈旧的刻板印象威胁会损害情节性的记忆表现。它也表明刻板印象威胁破坏了内存性能的基础机制，从而消除了对内存控制的作用，而不管其焦虑程度如何。