Research from the University of East Anglia shows how our memories change with age and why specific details associated with past events can fade over time.
A new study reveals that as people age, they not only remember fewer details from their past - but also struggle more when switching between different types of memories.
It points to a shift in how we remember things as we grow old - where vivid and moment-specific recollections gradually give way to broader, more generalised knowledge.
Rather than portraying memory decline as a simple loss, the study offers a nuanced picture of ageing cognition and sheds light on how memory evolves over a lifetime.
The team hope their findings could help guide new approaches to support healthy cognitive ageing.
Lead researcher Prof Louis Renoult, from UEA’s School of Psychology, said: “As we get older, our memories tend to become less detailed and more general, focusing on the overall story rather than specific moments.
“This shift is linked to changes in how the brain recalls information, meaning older people often remember the big picture but with fewer vivid details.
“We wanted to better understand how young and older adults retrieve autobiographical memories - the personal experiences that form the story of our lives.
“These sorts of memories can range from specific one-time events, such as a birthday party, to more general or repeated experiences like commuting to work.
“We focused on how flexible people are when asked to shift between these types of memories, and what happens when that flexibility is put under pressure.”
How the research happened
A total of 37 students, representing young minds, and 37 older adults from the community took part in the study. They were asked to recall two kinds of memories in response to cue words such as ‘market’.
“We wanted to elicit both specific memories and categoric memories - which are the general or repeated experiences,” said Prof Renoult.
To begin with, participants recalled each type in sequence, focusing on one form of memory at a time. They were then asked to switch back-and-forth between specific and categoric memories, placing greater demands on cognitive control.
The team evaluated both how well participants followed the instructions and how much detail they provided in their responses.
Switching comes at a cost
Prof Renoult said: “We found that across all age groups, memory performance declined when participants had to switch between memory types.
“However, older adults were particularly affected in one area - they were less accurate at recalling more mundane repetitive memories like commuting to work under switching conditions.
“Interestingly, their ability to recall specific memories like a birthday party was less affected by the task-switching challenge.
“This suggests that certain types of memory retrieval may be more vulnerable to the effects of ageing when multitasking or adapting to changing demands.”
A shift in memory content
The most striking findings came from analysing the content of the memories themselves.
When recalling specific events, older adults’ narratives contained fewer details such as sights, sounds, and emotions tied to a moment.
However, they remembered more semantic details – covering general knowledge or interpretations about the event. A similar pattern was observed when participants were asked to recall categoric memories.
Understanding memory and aging
The findings highlight that changes in memory are not simply about forgetting, but about how memories are accessed and expressed.
Prof Renoult said: “When older adults recall events, the richness of those memories may be reduced.
“This shift may reflect changes in underlying brain systems involved in memory, particularly those responsible for retrieving detailed contextual information and managing complex cognitive tasks.”
Real-world implications
“This has practical implications for everyday life. Tasks that require people to quickly adapt their thinking or switch between different kinds of recall - such as storytelling, decision-making or problem-solving - may become more challenging with age.
“At the same time, the increased reliance on semantic knowledge may have benefits. Generalised memories can support wisdom, pattern recognition, and efficient communication, even if the finer details are lost.”
‘Age-related differences in autobiographical memory recall: impact of retrieval mode switching’ is published in the journal Psychology and Aging.
Psychology and Aging
Observational study
People
21-Aug-2026