Knowledge of Memory Aging in Students, Caregivers, and Senior Service Providers

The Knowledge of Memory Aging Questionnaire (KMAQ) (Cherry, Brigman, Hawley, Reese, 2003) measures laypersons' knowledge of normal memory changes in late life and pathological deficits due to nonnormative factors such as adult dementia. In this study, we examined memory knowledge in community college and university students, caregivers, and service providers affiliated with councils on aging. Results yielded comparable knowledge of normal memory aging issues across groups, although caregivers and service providers were more knowledgeable about pathological memory aging issues than the students were. Follow-up analyses revealed that service providers were more accurate than the other groups in their responses to the KMAQ items that tap ageist views of adult cognition. Implications for memory education programs and gerontology curriculum are considered.