Perceptual Organization and Grouping Factors: Age Related Effects

Abstract

Older adults have evidenced a poorer ability to use grouping factors in such tasks as Embedded Figures, Incomplete Figures, and partial report. Difficulties in disambiguating the findings of these studies has left unanswered the cause of this age-related difference. By taking into account age-related differences in visual short-term memory, the results of the current study suggest that older adults maintain the ability to capitalize on the perceptual organization of the visual environment as a means of facilitating recall performance. These results have implications for the design of information displays, product labels, codes, and instructions.