Learning a route using a map and/or description in young and older adults

The study investigates age-related differences between young and older adults in environment learning. A sample of young adults (aged 20–30 years) and older adults (aged 60–70 years) was asked to learn a route under three conditions: using a map (M), a description (D), or a map plus a description (M + D). Results showed that spatial recall performance, measured with map drawing and pointing tasks, was higher under M and M + D conditions, than under D condition. Only in the map drawing task were age-related differences modulated by the learning conditions: Young adults performed better than older adults in D, but the two groups did not differ under M or M + D conditions. In contrast, independently of age group and learning condition, participants in the pointing task made fewer errors in aligned pointing compared to counteraligned pointing, and the performance was determined by their reasoning ability. Correlation analyses indicated a differential role played by age and fluid ability depending on the learning modality and the recall task considered. Overall, our findings suggest that in environment learning, the choice of input and the type of recall task modulate age-related differences between young and older adults.