# ASSOCIATIVE LEARNING AND AGING

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA AT COLUMBIA · 1990 · $39,616

## Abstract

Recent developments in the study of information processing suggest
that multiple memory systems may exist.  One implication of this
suggestion is that different kinds of memory may be differentially
affected by age.  For example, acquisition of the "implicit"
knowledge, which does not require conscious evaluation of the
material to be learned, may be unimpaired as a result of aging,
whereas acquisition of explicit knowledge, which requires conscious
processing of the material to be learned and effortful attention
to the recall of this material may be more affected by the normal
aging process.

lt has been suggested that classical conditioning is a form of
implicit learning, yet it has been found that both EB and
electrodermal conditioning are impaired in the elderly.  These
findings are obviously incompatible with the above implication that
implicit learning is relatively unaffected by age.  However
important control experiments were not employed in these previous
studies, making it impossible to determine whether the age-related
deficits obtained were due to acquisition or performance
impairments.  It is also possible that some types of implicit
learning may be more affected by aging than others.  To assess
these alternatives we plan to study both eyeblink and heart rate
conditioned responses in human subjects as a function of age and
to control for age-related differences in performance.  We will
also determine whether the performance of subjects of different
ages on classical conditioning tasks are related to tests of
cognitive function that have been previously used to differentiate
between explicit and implicit knowledge.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3120200
- **Project number:** 5R01AG008522-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA AT COLUMBIA
- **SAM.gov UEI:** J22LNTMEDP73
- **Principal Investigator:** DONALD A POWELL
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1990
- **Award amount:** $39,616
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1989-07-01 → 1992-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3120200

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3120200, ASSOCIATIVE LEARNING AND AGING (5R01AG008522-02). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3120200. Licensed CC0.

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